It was his first day of school.

As a professor.

He had put up a long and irksome fight with McGonagall. Too young. Inexperienced.
No qualifications. Didn’t think he was the teaching type.

Nevertheless, McGonagall said. Nevertheless.

He couldn’t argue with ‘nevertheless’. It was ridiculous. Eventually, Hermione took

him aside.

“Look,” she said. “You love Defence Against the Dark Arts. The kids will think you’re
cool. You’re a natural, remember Dumbledore’s Army? And it’s either this, or you sit
around reading fanmail all day.”

Harry had seriously considered just returning to his old Auror job. After eleven years
as an Auror (and the youngest on the team) he could say he’d enjoyed it. But he’d had
enough of it all, now. Enough of the fighting and duelling and scars and capturing.
After Harry had captured the last Death-Eater on the run, he had decided to have an
early retirement, as such. He wanted a practical job, an interactive job, not some
respectable, dull Ministry desk job. But not something quite as full-on as being an
Auror. And Hermione, as if reading his mind, smiled widely.

“This is perfect, Harry. A perfect opportunity. You’ll get to practice spells, teach
others, and help children. You’re patient, understanding, and thorough.”

“I’m twenty-nine. I’ll be the youngest person there. I’ll feel stupid.”

2
“No you won’t,” Hermione said sharply. “And what about Nev, teaching Herbology?
He’s exactly the same age as you.”

“But — ”

“No excuses.”

“I just — ”

“You’ll love it.”

Harry groaned and sunk into the couch. “You’ve made up my mind for me, haven’t
you?”

“Yes,” Hermione said unapologetically. “It will be fun. Anyway, you need more of
a...”

“Life?”

“...change,” Hermione finished. “Meet new people, that sort of thing. Who knows,
you might even meet someone at last.”

“Let’s not make this personal,” Harry said hastily. Ever since he’d broken up with
Ginny, Hermione kept trying to get them back together again. When Harry finally
voiced his annoyance, Hermione changed tack by trying to set him up with other
people. He’d like to know who Hermione thought he’d ‘meet’ at Hogwarts, anyway.
McGonagall? Neville? He snorted.

“...Alright, I’m just saying. So will you take the job or at least consider it?”

3
Harry sighed and fiddled with his sleeves. Finally, he looked up at her, beaten. “If I
take it, you must promise to stop trying to find someone for me.”

“Okay,” Hermione said, smiling and holding her hands up. “No more meddling.”

“Okay,” Harry said defeatedly. “I’ll take it.”

____________________

He port-keyed to Hogsmeade, where he met Headmistress McGonagall.

“Professor,” he said.

“You may call me Minerva, Potter,” she said, tapping her cane lightly on the
cobblestones and smiling.

“Alright,” he replied, knowing he would never dare call her that. Old habits die hard.

“This way,” McGonagall directed, although Harry needed no guidance. He knew the
path to Hogwarts by heart. “You must forgive my slow pace,” McGonagall added.
“Age adds to the mind but detracts from the body.”

“You’re not so old,” Harry said loyally. McGonagall raised an eyebrow and kept
walking.

They silently approached Hogwarts, and McGonagall stood for a moment on a grassy
hill, regaining her breath and letting Harry gaze for a moment. He was glad of the
opportunity to gather himself as he stared at the beautiful castle and grounds spread
below. All the memories...He pushed them back fiercely. There was where he lazed by

4
the lake, and there was where he faced Voldemort. There was where he laughed with
friends, and there was where his fellow students died.

He realised McGonagall was looking shrewdly at him, and he turned to smile faintly
at her.

“Hasn’t changed a bit,” he murmured.

“Yes, patched up well after the Battle,” McGonagall said, and he realised she too
would look upon Hogwarts and have memories both fond and devastating.

“Never thought I’d be coming back here,” Harry added nervously. Even from here, he
could see the charred spot outside the Forest, where he had hanged limply in the air
above a triumphant Voldemort. As if reading his thoughts, McGonagall gave him a
sharp look.

“We didn’t idolise the place,” she said. “There are no statues or dedications there.”

“Thank Merlin,” Harry mumbled and to his surprise, McGonagall laughed.

“We did have a Reflection Pool built in the rose gardens,” she said. “We had a small
plaque placed by it, with the date of the Battle and the names of those who died
fighting.” There was a pause, then she started forwards. “Shall we continue, Potter?”

They made their way down to the gates. They were solid, beautiful, and looked as
strong as ever. He couldn’t imagine that eleven years ago, they had lain mangled and
torn asunder from their hinges.

“Nervous, Potter?” McGonagall asked kindly as he paused, staring up at the gates.

5
“Yeah...I just don’t...want any students looking up to me,” he finished lamely, unsure
how to put it into words without sounding big-headed. The last thing he wanted was
a room full of Colin Creeveys, gazing up at him in awe.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Potter,” McGonagall said assuredly. “You’ll just be
another professor to them, if you behave correctly.”

Behave correctly. Harry had the absurd feeling he was being admonished for something
he had yet to do.

They had entered the grounds now and were already approaching the great
sandstone steps. They were intact, slightly worn but otherwise perfect. Harry
remembered them crumbling, the walls of the great castle pocked by lethal curses, the
floors slippery with blood...

“We must remember to move on,” McGonagall said gently. “Hogwarts has recovered.
The students are very happy here. Our past students sacrificed their lives so these
students could have a future here. A worthy sacrifice.”

Harry tried to smile, pushing down the lump in his throat. McGonagall was right.
The fact that these hallowed halls were once again filled with laughter and learning
was owed to the students who gave up their lives.

They went down the corridors. All was quiet. It was the thirtieth of August and the
students would arrive in just two days, bringing with them the bright-eyed bustle and
chatty joy of youth, but for now the castle was silent and still, waiting.

“All the staff are here,” McGonagall assured him. “Of course, Grimble and I remain
here all year round to maintain the school.”

6
“Grimble?”

“Herbert Grimble, the caretaker.”

“Filch is gone?”

“Happily retired,” McGonagall said drily. “Now, here is your office.”

She unlocked a heavy wooden door which Harry recognised straight away. His heart
jumped painfully as he remembered that once upon a time, Remus Lupin had used
this room. Here his treasured belongings had lain: scattered books, tattered
cloaks...the grimy Grindlelow tank...

It was empty and bare now, the stone walls unadorned and the window thick with
dust. The only furniture was a battered desk in a corner. Harry ran a hand almost
tenderly over it, remembering Lupin’s books and papers stacked on it.

“I’ll get Grimble to reinstate the heating spells for the floor,” McGonagall said, her
voice echoing. “The stone gets rather cold in winter.”

Harry walked to the window and gazed out. It looked directly onto the quidditch
pitch, bringing a faint smile to his face. “Scourgify,” he murmured, the dust
disappearing, leaving the window gleaming and clean. Dusk was already settling in,
the stars winking at him through the glass. His breath ghosted across the window and
for a moment he saw his own face staring back at him, stars shining through his
pupils.

“The door to your left leads to your chambers,” McGonagall called across the room,
opening the door. It creaked slightly and opened to reveal comfortable sleeping

7
quarters. There was a large, four-poster bed, a low table and armchair, a wardrobe
and a fireplace. A door in the corner led to a small bathroom.

“Your classroom is on the third floor, seventh along from the portrait of Uric the
Odd,” McGonagall said as he pulled a tiny, obviously shrunken trunk from his pocket
and placed it on the bed. “You’d do well to acclimate yourself with the room before
the students arrive.”

“Yes, professor.”

“Very good. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. The password to my
office is Whizzing Fizzbees.”

Harry smiled faintly, then turned to face her. The room was dark now, silhouetting
him against the dark blue dusk outside.

“Thank you, professor.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” McGonagall said, then departed. Harry listened to her
footsteps fading down the hall, then gently closed the door to his office.

His office. What a strange phrase. It was impossible to think of himself as a professor.
Professor. Such a strange title, that he surely had not earned.

He sighed and began the long task of unpacking.

____________________

8
He spent most of the next day organising his room, and had nearly completed it
when somebody politely rapped on the outer office door. He hurried out his sleeping
quarters and opened the door.

“Ah, Potter. You’ve been busy, I see.” McGonagall stepped in and looked around.
Harry had indeed been busy, and his trunk had held a truly remarkable amount of
stuff. There were bookshelves lining the room, filled with the many texts he had
gained over the years. Posters and framed newspaper clippings lined the walls:

‘Mad-Eye’ Moody Honoured In Auror Memorial Service!

Albus Dumbledore Scholarship Announced.

Shacklebolt Sworn In As Minister!

McGonagall glanced away from a diagram of a Doxy and took a seat opposite
Harry’s desk.

“Lovely office.”

“Thanks, professor,” Harry said.

“Now, as you know the students will be arriving tomorrow,” McGonagall said,
adjusting her spectacles. “And I’m sure you’ll do an admirable job of educating
them.”

Harry smiled nervously, tapping his fingers on the mahogany desk.

9
“We all have our individual teaching methods,” McGonagall went on. “But I feel
obliged to give you some advice, Potter — and pay attention, because it is vital your
first day goes smoothly.”

“Er, yes,” Harry managed. Why had he agreed to this at all? Who was he kidding? He
couldn’t teach at all!

“The first thing is to never show any sign of stress or nerves,” McGonagall said.
“Always remain calm at all times.”

“No nerves,” Harry repeated, feeling queasy. “Right.”

“Secondly,” McGonagall went on, “do not try and win the children over. Never
indulge them, spoil them, or try to be on their level. You are not here to be their
friend, you are here to be their professor. Do not try to chat to them, to let them get
away with mischief in the hopes of gaining their favour and cooperation. It would be
easy for you, as a younger professor, to slip into the role of friend or fellow student,
but I beg you not to indulge either yourself or them.”

“Alright.”

“Of course,” McGonagall went on, “this does not mean you must be completely strict
or aloof. If a child seeks counsel or advice, you may offer it. However it is important
that you recognise that if a student is experiencing difficulty in their personal life and
wishes to be advised or assisted, you discuss it with Poppy or myself and we will take
over. You are not in a position to deal with such cases.”

“Of course, professor,” Harry said. Should he be writing this down? He was certain
he would somehow ruin his first day now.

10
“Now,” McGonagall said. “Onto the more practical things. If Hogwarts is to be
evacuated — a spell has gone wrong, Fiendfyre, that sort of thing — a general
announcement will be made. Your class is to proceed to the quidditch pitch and you
must take attendance to ensure everybody is present and safe.”

“Yes, professor.”

“If a student is ever hurt in your class — again, through a spell or magical creature —
you must isolate the student at once. If the injury is minor and they are able to walk,
have another trustworthy student escort them to the hospital wing. If the injury is
more problematic or restricts the student’s movements, you are to escort them to the
hospital wing yourself in the safest manner possible, and return to your class
immediately. You must ensure the class remains calm and under control at all times.”

Harry nodded, trying frantically to remember it all.

“When you receive the list of students’ names,” McGonagall added, “you will receive
additional details. What house they are in. Any medical conditions. And, of late, if
their parents or other immediate family was involved in the Battle. This is, of course,
to practice sensitivity around the student. For example, if you are to be explaining
Unforgivable Curses, you may know that one of the students had a mother whom was
killed by one of the Curses. You may choose to take the child aside before the lesson,
discreetly, and ask if they would like to be excused from the lesson.”

“I’ll try to remember that.”

“And do not let such documents fall into student hands. You’ll have a mischief-maker
in every class. Cast a Scrambling Spell on the document so that only you may see it,
for example.”

11
“Alright. Thank you, professor.”

McGonagall nodded once, briefly. “I think that covers all major points, Potter. Don’t
be afraid to deduct house points or hand out detentions. It’s far better to have a
reputation as a strict teacher than as an easy-going teacher. Over time, you will learn
their tricks and ways. They will try to distract you, to worm out of lessons. Never
accept homework excuses. Never listen to sob stories. Never, ever divulge personal
details. They may ask if you have a family, where you live, have you travelled, do you
have any pets, were you at the Battle, what was it like fighting, and more. Always
avoid such questions and make it clear you will not answer them. Some will be
harmless, some will just be efforts to procrastinate or distract you, some will be
attempts to get a rise out of you or anger you. Never, ever answer them or allow
yourself to be antagonised by them.”

“Yes, professor.”

“Alright. I think you’re ready.”

Harry stared at her, terrified. She smiled calmly at him.

“I’ll see you at the staff dinner tonight, Potter.”

“Er...yes...” Harry scribbled a note, having forgotten about the dinner already. By the
time he looked up, she was gone.

He sagged over his desk. He was going to be an absolutely terrible teacher.

____________________

“Hermione! Hermione!”

12
“Oh, Harry!” Hermione dropped her toast and scrambled over to her fireplace,
kneeling in her hearth. “How are you? Settled in alright?”

“Hermione, I can’t do it. I’m resigning!”

“What happened?” Hermione asked, aghast.

“McGonagall came to my office yesterday,” Harry said desperately. “She went on

about all these things, and I don’t think I’ll be able to remember any of them, the
students are all going to hate me or think I’m boring — ”

“They won’t think you’re boring,” Hermione said soothingly, but Harry cut her off.

“You’re just being nice, Hermione! I’ll end up like Professor Binns, they’ll all fall
asleep in my class — ”

“Harry, I think you’re overreacting.”

“I can’t do it! I can’t! I’ll end up accidentally killing someone — ”

“At least you won’t be boring then.”

“This isn’t funny!” Harry yelled. “I’m going to be the worst teacher ever, I’ll — ”

“Harry,” Hermione said. “Harry.”

“Yes?” he asked grudgingly, forcing his voice to be calm.

13
“You’ve fought Voldemort. On numerous occasions. Are you telling me you can take
on the world’s darkest overlord, and not a class of eleven-year-olds?”

“Yes, because — ”

“Have you seen Neville yet?”

“Yes,” Harry said. “At the staff dinner last night.”

“Really? And how is he?”

“Good,” Harry said suspiciously. “We had a really nice talk. He said it’ll be great
having an old friend around. We can swap notes on students.”

“So, Neville enjoys his job?”

“Yes.”

“So Neville can be a successful teacher, and you can’t? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I
thought you taught him. Didn’t you? Didn’t you teach him the Expelliarmus spell?”

“Well...maybe...sort of...” mumbled Harry, his fears beginning to dissipate. He began

to feel slightly embarrassed. Perhaps Hermione was right, and he was just
overreacting.

“Looking forward to the feast tonight?” Hermione said warmly.

“No. They’ll all be gawking at me.”

14
“Of course they will. Remember how we used to stare at the latest Defence
teachers?”

“Yeah,” Harry admitted, smiling.

“See, we were students too, once.”

“I feel sorry for our professors now,” Harry laughed. “I’d hate to have me in my
class.”

“Let alone Ron,” Hermione said, and they laughed together. “He sends his greetings,
by the way. Says he hopes you don’t get hit by Dungbombs or anything on your first
day.”

“Will I? What should I do if that happens?” Harry asked, panic beginning to seep
back in.

“Oh, come on Harry. Get a grip. You’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, alright,” Harry said doubtfully, but seeing Hermione’s reassuring smile and
hearing her welcoming voice had soothed a lot of his frayed nerves.

“Just sit up at the staff table and give them the Severus Snape look,” Hermione
teased. “They’ll be terrified of you in no time.”

“I wish,” Harry said drily. “Now there was a man who could command respect.”

“And terror. Poor Neville’s hands used to shake so much in Potions. Listen, Harry, I’ve
got to dash off to work, but I’ll talk to you again tonight, alright?”

15
“Alright. Go on, get out of here,” Harry laughed, and Hermione waved farewell as
Harry popped his head back out of the fire and stood up. He surveyed his new office,
calmer then he had been over the past few days.

“I’ll be fine,” he told himself. “Just fine.”

____________________

“Have a seat, Harry! Grubbly-Plank’s bringing the first years in now,” Neville said
cheerily, patting the seat behind him. Harry climbed into it awkwardly.

“This feels so odd,” he mumbled. “Sitting up here.”

“Oh, yes, but you get used to it. Look, you can see everything from up here! I never
realised. To think of all the times as a student, when we used to whisper away, and the
whole time the professors saw everything.”

Neville was right, Harry could see everything. He glanced around the empty seats and
tables, and gave a jolt as he saw a grumpy-looking man carrying in a little stool and a
hat.

“The Sorting Hat?”

“Oh, yes. Like an old friend,” Neville said comfortably. Harry could still see the old
scar stretching right round his face, crossing the bridge of his nose and just under
both eyes — a thin and painful white line. As if sensing his glance, Neville rubbed the
bridge of his nose absently.

Neville had told him once that whilst the Sorting Hat flamed upon his head, it had
whispered words of courage and bravery to him. You are too strong for his torture, it had

16
told him. But he is not too strong for yours. Fulfil your promise and destroy that which is most
precious to him. And that was when Neville had raised the sword in all his blinding
white pain, and brought it down upon Nagini.

Harry tried to shake away the memories, sitting back abruptly as chatter filled the
corridor.

“It’s the sixth and seventh years,” Neville said. “You can tell. They’re much more slow
and confident.”

Certainly, the students who entered were clearly nearing their late teens. They barely
spared a glance for the staff, smiling and murmuring amongst themselves as they
sauntered casually past. Eventually the earlier years filed in, waving excitedly to
friends and sorting themselves out, arguing over seats and bragging about their
holidays. A few of them gazed up at the staff table and, upon spotting Harry, nudged
their friends discreetly.

“Just glare at them,” Neville said, and Harry was suddenly very glad he had Neville
there with him. He grinned and couldn’t help but wink at a grinning second-year
Gryffindor, who waved back proudly, nudging his impressed friends. Eventually they
settled into their seats, the Gryffindor turning round often to glance at Harry.

There was a sudden silence as Professor Sprout appeared, a thin line of white-faced
students behind her. Apparently she was the new deputy headmistress; she had a long
list, and cleared her throat.

“Aaronson, Charlotte.”

A petrified first-year edged forwards. Harry raised his eyebrows. He certainly could
not recall ever being so tiny.

17
“Hufflepuff !”

The first year raced with relief towards the Ravenclaw table and was quickly re-
directed towards the Hufflepuff table, to shouts of laughter.

They went through the list, a few familiar names bringing a smile to Harry’s face.
Then Neville suddenly leant forwards.

“Hullo,” he said. “This is interesting.”

“What is?” Harry asked, leaning forwards too. He frowned, seeing a flash of brilliant
white.

“Malfoy?” he asked stupidly, then —

“Malfoy, Scorpius.”

“That can’t be Malfoy’s child, can it?” Harry whispered to Neville.

“Impossible,” murmured Neville. “He would have been born on the eve of the
Battle.”

“A Malfoy child, born out of wedlock?” Harry shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Can you image Malfoy as a teenaged father?” Neville laughed softly. “Perhaps this
Scorpius is a cousin.”

“I don’t think so,” Harry said confidently, having studied the Black family tree
extensively.

18
McGonagall sent a quelling look towards them and they quickly quietened down.
Harry silently searched for the supposed Malfoy student, glancing upon the Slytherin
table. Then Neville nudged him and gestured discreetly.

There he was.

Sitting miserably at the Gryffindor table, next to Harry’s cheerful godson.

____________________

“Hermione?” Harry called, his knees in his hearth again.

“She’s not here.” Ron’s freckly face appeared.

“Ron!” Harry said warmly, and Ron grinned.

“Yeah, you’ll have to chat to me. Disappointing, I know, but...”

“Ron, I’ve got news,” Harry burst out. “Malfoy’s got a kid.”

Ron stared at him for a moment. Then a very happy and evil grin spread across his
face. “Really? But he would’ve had to been born — ”

“Yeah, right before the Battle.”

“Who d’you think the unlucky mother is?”

“Dunno, but they must’ve married, he’s got the Malfoy surname,” Harry mused.

“He? So it’s a slimy little Slytherin, then.”

19
“Gryffindor,” corrected Harry.

“What?”

“Gryffindor. He was Sorted into Gryffindor.”

There was a tiny pause, before Ron rolled around, his eyes tearing up with laughter.
Harry couldn’t help it, a smile reluctantly tugging at his mouth. Eventually Ron
calmed down, wiping at his eyes, still chuckling.

“I’m the happiest man alive,” he told Harry. “I think I’m going to die from sheer joy.
Kill me now, because it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh too.

____________________

Nevertheless, he tried to take a professional stance. He had his weapon in one hand:
the list of students. His first class was a mixed-house group of seventh-years. Harry
tried not to be overwhelmed by the sea of faces staring at him. Seventh-years. Easy,
Neville had told him. Seventh-years were easy-peasy. Not noisy and lovestruck like
sixth-years, who seemed to be permanently embroiled in their little soap-opera
worlds. Not sarcastic and mean like fifth-years, who just wanted to be rebellious and
smart-arses. Fourth and third-years were alright, they got bored easily and thought it
was uncool to be clever, so you had to work a bit to get answers out of them. First and
second years were the worst. Over-enthusiastic and high expectations. Wanted
exciting explosions and colours and loud sounds. Expected to do complicated magic
straight away and assumed they were stupid or slow if they didn’t get something right

20
the first time. Delicate egos, Neville told him. Their self-esteem changed quicker than
the weather.

So here they were, the mature seventh-years. Easy. Easy-peasy, Harry lied to himself.

“I’m Professor Potter,” he said. “Your new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher.
This term, I plan to have a balance of theory and practical work. The first lesson in
the week will be theory, and the second will be prac.”

The class seemed unfazed by this, nodding slightly to show their approval of his plans.
Harry carried on in a firm, clear voice that covered his nerves.

“I understand that you have, previously, had some lessons in Dark creatures.”

This time there was a better reaction, some nodding and calls of agreement.

“Werewolves, sir!”

“Vampires.”

“Bogarts, sir, they’re the worst.”

“Well,” Harry said, “What about creatures which are slightly harder to fight off ?
Does anybody here know what a Lethifold is?”

A ramrod-straight arm shot up. “Please, sir, it’s a creature that closely resembles a
shadow and kills its victims by suffocating them whilst they are sleeping.”

“And what’s your name?” he asked her.

21
“Gwendolyn Thwistle, sir!”

“Also known as teacher’s pet,” somebody sniggered. Aha, thought Harry. We have our
Hermione Granger. He looked at her name, noting her house was Hufflepuff.

“Very good. Ten points to Hufflepuff.”

“That’s unfair, sir, she gets all the answers right, we don’t have a chance!” a
Gryffindor called out.

“Alright. Here’s a question for you, then, Mr...?”

“Llewellyn.”

Harry cast another glance at his paper. George. George Llewellyn. Gryffindor.

“Alright, Llewellyn. How do you repel a Lethifold?”

“Oh, sir! Professor Potter, sir! Professor! Sir!” Gwen’s hand waved madly around like
an angry flagpole. Harry tried his best to ignore her.

“Uh,” Llewellyn mumbled. “Um...with a spell?”

“Yes, and can anybody name the spell?” Harry asked, taking the attention off
Llewellyn and allowing him to save face.

“Oh, sir, please, Professor, I know the answer — ”

Was Hermione ever that annoying? Harry was certain she didn’t constantly call out,
at least. To his relief, he spotted a hand timidly rising up, slowly and carefully.

22
“Yes, up the back there?”

“A Patronus, sir?” the owner of the hand whispered, before drawing back quickly as
though expecting Harry to shoot off a curse at them.

“Yes, correct, Miss, er — ”

“Viney, sir,” somebody else called out. He consulted his list once more. Vivienne
Topham-Viney. Slytherin. She had wispy blonde hair and large, apologetic eyes. What
on earth was she doing in Slytherin, Harry did not know.

“Miss Viney. Ten points to Slytherin.”

She did not look happy at all, retreating far back into her seat and looking as though
she was trying to become invisible by sheer will. Harry kindly took the spotlight off
her.

“So, a Patronus. Who here can produce a Patronus?”

Three or four hands were raised, Gwen’s among them.

“A corporeal Patronus?” Harry pressed on, and Gwen took her hand down with great
reluctance. Nobody’s hand was up now.

“I hope,” Harry said, “that by the end of the term, when I ask that question, every
single hand is raised.”

They broke into hushed and excited whispers.

23
Harry exhaled in relief.

____________________

Next up, he had the fourth-years. Neville had warned him, echoing McGonagall’s
words. Be careful with this lot, Harry told himself. Don’t let them try any mischief.
Don’t let them get to you.

“Good morning,” Harry said to the sea of faces. “I’m Professor Potter, and I — ”

“As in Harry Potter?” somebody called out; a squinty-eyed Slytherin that Harry hated
instantly.

“Yes, and I — ”

“Did you fight in the Battle, sir?” asked a long-haired Gryffindor girl.

“What was it like?”

“Yeah, did you kill anyone?”

“I’m not here to discuss my personal life,” Harry said helplessly.

“Aw, sir, how’re we s’posed to learn Defence? You should share your experiences, sir,
we’d learn from them,” the Slytherin called out, to a chorus of ‘go on, sir!’ from the
rest of the class.

“Look, let’s get on with the lesson,” Harry said.

24
“Be a sport, sir, I heard you killed a million Death-Nibblers at once!” a Hufflepuff
called out.

“It’s Death-Eater, idiot,” jeered a Slytherin.

“Language, please,” Harry said in his best angry voice, but they just chatted over the
top of him.

“You’d know, wouldn’t you, I heard your whole family is Dark — ”

“Say that to my face!”

“Which one?”

The laughter and jeers erupted and the insulted Slytherin rolled up his sleeves.

“Bring it on, you stupid Gryffindor — ”

“Who are you calling stupid? I heard your mum’s actually a troll — ”

“You tell him, Helen!”

“Get her, Marcus!” — to which Marcus lifted his wand, quick as lightning, and
opened his mouth —

There was a sudden whooshing noise, a bright light sizzled briefly, and Marcus’s wand
was in Harry’s hand. The class blinked in amazement.

“Wow, sir, that was dead awesome, sir — ”

25
“I never even saw your wand, Professor — ”

“Unfortunately, Williams here,” Harry indicated Marcus, “will have to have a theory
lesson, as his wand will remain confiscated until the end of my class.”

“Sir!”

“And ten points from Slytherin.”

“Marcus, you idiot,” hissed his fellow students. Helen beamed.

“And ten points from Gryffindor,” Harry added. Both houses were quiet now, glaring
at each other.

“Good,” Harry said. “I see we have achieved silence. Thank you. Please remember
that in this classroom, you will only perform magic with my permission. Is that
clear?”

“Yeah,” they mumbled.

“Good. And now perhaps we can actually begin the lesson.”

“Yeah, sir, tell us about you fighting at the Battle,” a Gryffindor began.

“Five points from Gryffindor,” Harry said.

“Why?” the outraged student demanded.

“One of my rules,” Harry replied smoothly. “I will deduct five points for every
question asked that is off-topic.”

26
“That’s unfair, sir,” the Gryffindor mumbled, but without malice and Harry knew he
had them under his control now.

“Now, our first lesson: Identifying the side-effects of Dark spells,” Harry said, his
voice calm.

His heart, however, banged wildly around his chest like a galloping Thestral. It was a
wonder teachers didn’t all head into early retirement, he thought.

____________________

Yesterday had gone well. However, Harry wasn’t breaking out the champagne just
yet, for today his first lessons involved classes of first and second years, and that meant
dealing with an itty bitty Malfoy. Just what he needed. The little toerag looked just like
his father — the same pale, pointed face and fine hair, the same cold grey eyes. A
right little hellraiser, Harry thought. Full of snide remarks, little sneers and annoying
little smirks. The little twerp would need a strict professor, would need to be kept in
line and disciplined properly. The ego would need to be deflated as soon as possible.

Yet to his surprise, the first year class was devoid of Scorpius. Instead, he arrived with
the mixed-house second year bunch — Ted grinning amongst them, next to Scorpius.
Was Scorpius playing some sort of game? Having a bit of fun with that stupid new
professor, see how far he’d get? Switching classes? Harry’s eyes narrowed.

“Good morning,” Harry said coldly to the faces that awaited him. He’d never learn
all their names, he was sure. “I am Professor Potter, your Defence Against the Dark
Arts teacher.”

27
He paused, but they were silent. He was thankful that Teddy had taken his job
seriously, telling Harry he intended to be very professional about it all and didn’t
expect to be treated any differently. Harry stared at the silent, expectant faces before
him — Teddy’s nose growing slightly longer for a second — before Harry allowed
himself a quick glance at Scorpius. But the boy was silent, neither muttering nor
smirking. Harry continued.

“I understand that your last professor, Aberwell, taught you the basics of Dark magic,
and how to recognise most Dark spells and potions. However, you are yet to learn of
Dark objects and Dark creatures.”

Everyone swapped terrified looks. Evidently the world was full of Dark things. A boy
eyed his quill forebodingly.

“Of course,” Harry went on, “the key thing here is recognising Dark objects and
creatures. Spells and potions can be thrown upon you unexpectedly, or can be used
stealthily. However, Dark creatures can be easily avoided if you know what you’re
looking at, and so can Dark objects. We will begin by learning to identify both.
Defence is your last option, avoidance is your first.”

He suddenly became aware of the light tap-tapping of a quill against a desk. A

Slytherin sitting next to Scorpius gave him an annoyed look.

“Malfoy,” he said, and the boy jumped. “If you could please desist from making that
noise, thank you.”

“Sorry, sir. I have attention problems.”

A quick glance at the student record told Harry that Scorpius was not lying. There
was a small note next to his name: Suspected ADHD. Currently off medicated potions.

28
“Very well,” he said. “However I still ask that you try and focus. Now, the easiest Dark
thing to identify is the creature. And whilst I am using the word ‘Dark’, that is not
strictly true. Any creature can be dangerous if it so chooses to. However some
creatures are more...inclined to be malevolent towards witches and wizards. For
example, Grindylows.” He paused. The tap-tapping was back again.

“Malfoy. I have already asked once that you desist.”

“Yeah, but sir — ”

“I will not ask again. Now, if you open your textbooks to chapter three — Misty Moors
and Fetid Fen — we’ll read through the first paragraph together. Copsley, you begin.”

As the Ravenclaw talked, Harry followed the text but kept glancing at Scorpius. The
boy was constantly fidgeting, looking bored and glancing around trying to catch
fellow students’ eyes. Copsley finished his paragraph and Harry spoke.

“Malfoy, the next paragraph please.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Malfoy, that was not a request.”

“I hate reading this shit, it’s boring — ”

The class gasped; a group of Ravenclaws looked collectively outraged.

“Sir, he swore sir!”

29
“Sir, he said the S word!”

“I heard him myself, thank you,” Harry replied. “Malfoy, I do not want to hear
language like that again. It’s unnecessary, uncouth and unwelcome.”

“Sorry, sir,” Scorpius said. It was impossible to tell whether he meant it. Harry
decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“That’s alright. Now read out the paragraph, please.”

“But sir — ”

“Five points from Slytherin. Now read it out, or you’ll receive a detention.”

Scorpius frowned, then looked at the page.

“In...the...duck — ”

“Dark,” Harry corrected, quelling the sniggers around the classroom.

“...Dark...shed-ohs...in the dark shadows...many mall-or-vent...”

“Malevolent.”

“...malevolent...” mumbled Scorpius.

Harry stopped him after a long and painful paragraph.

“Thank you, Malfoy. Ten points to Slytherin.”

30
The outraged Copsley opened his mouth, but Harry beat him to it.

“And ten points to Ravenclaw. Now, can anybody tell me where the Grindylow may
be found?”

Later, as the students filed out, Harry sat at his desk and sighed. He didn’t know why
he had awarded ten points to Scorpius. Well, yes he did. Pity. He couldn’t help but
feel a stab of pity. Why couldn’t Scorpius read properly? He came from a very well-
bred, educated and aristocratic family. Harry knew Malfoy would have given his son
the best, most prestigious education he could afford. He would want his son to brag
and pomp his way around Hogwarts, to impress with his wealth, his good clothes, his
aristocratic manners, his cleverness. Yet Scorpius was reading like an eight year old!
And he spoke very differently from what Harry had imagined. No smug tone or fancy
words, no upper class accent. He spoke frankly, rudely and mumbled with his words.
Something was definitely wrong.

Harry frowned.

____________________

“Congratulations, Potter, on your first successful month.”

“Thanks, professor,” Harry replied embarrassedly. He was sitting opposite

McGonagall in the staff common room, half-listening to Penelope Clearwater’s
ranting. She was Professor Clearwater now. She taught Muggle Studies and
sometimes filled in for Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration classes, and Harry
found her quite likeable, if a little unprepared for teaching. She was the second
youngest professor and had begun at Hogwarts last year. Her past teaching
experience had been lecturing to university Muggles, and Harry got the feeling she

31
was used to smart, quiet, mature students who took notes and asked no questions. Not
exactly the best qualification for working at Hogwarts, but who was Harry to judge?

“...that ridiculous Malfoy child. What a horrendous little trouble-maker,” Penelope

was saying. “Do you know what he handed in for his first assignment? A very crude
diagram of the male reproductive system. You cannot imagine how distressed I was. I
had to give him a week’s worth of detentions. And his English is terrible. Mumbling
and mispronouncing his way through all the textbooks.”

“Maybe he needs some extra tutoring,” Harry suggested.

“He does it all for attention,” Penelope carried on, ignoring him. “He enjoys showing
off to his foolish friends, Teddy and Leo. And just the other day I caught him
vandalising a desk. Of course the desk just leapt up and began beating him over the
head, but I have absolutely no sympathy. I’ve already set the second assignment, and
if he does it again...”

Harry felt guilty. He had set an assignment for his second-year class just last week.
Was Penelope already setting out second assignments? He really needed to get a move
on.

“I’ve got Scorpius handing in his assignment today,” Harry said.

“More likely as not, he won’t even bother handing it in,” Neville joined in. “I’m still
waiting for the first assignment — and that was due two weeks ago.”

“Nasty piece of work,” Penelope nodded. “In any case, I should be dashing off to
class.” She stood up and left. Harry turned worryingly to Neville.

“I’ve got my second-year Defence class next, what should I do?”

32
“Whatever you want. You’re the teacher.”

“Thanks, Neville,” Harry said drily, opening the staffroom door.

“You’re welcome.”

Harry set off down the corridor, slightly anxious, and entered the classroom, sitting
down to wait at his desk whilst his class filed in.

“I hope you have all remembered that your first assignment is due today. When I call
your name, please place your assignment on my desk,” he called out. “Aaronson.”
A Hufflepuff brightly bounded out from behind her desk.

“There you go, sir, I hope it’s not too long, I ended up going over the two-feet limit,
but honestly there was nothing I could cut out, sir, it was all really important — ”

“Thank you, Aaronson. You may return to your seat,” Harry said drily. “Atkinson.”

A shy Hufflepuff girl sidled up and slowly pushed her roll of parchment on top of
Aaronson’s, as though afraid the pile would explode.

“Thank you,” Harry said, adding a tick next to her name. “Clark.”

He went through the register, the ticks adding up beautifully. Not a single assignment
missed, until —

“Malfoy.”

33
Scorpius got up, smiling, and handed a piece of parchment to Harry, who read it
carefully. It simply listed a lot of obscene and badly misspelt words. Harry got out a
red quill.

“Ah, I see you’ve already got that wrong. The K comes after the C. And this one here,
the W should be an R. But you’ve made a very good effort.”

Scorpius grinned at him.

“However, I think you may have got the topic confused. You were supposed to
research horrible spells, not horrible words. How about you meet me at my office at
six o’clock, so we might go over the topic again?”

“Ah, sir, that’s not fair, Leo didn’t do the assignment at all — ”

“Thanks a lot!” hissed Leo. Harry didn’t mind Leo. He was a Gryffindor, quite short
and slender. He had black tufty hair and most of the time wore a mischievous little
half-smirk, reminding Harry sometimes of Sirius. He wasn’t so bad though. Harry
was onto him. Leo might play stupid a lot but he knew the right answers and he knew
when to stop fooling around. Penelope was under the impression Leo was a bad
influence on Scorpius and advised Harry to split them up in class, like she did.
However Harry just let them sit together anyway. Honestly, he couldn’t be bothered
trying to split them up. No doubt both Scorpius and Leo would kick up a fuss about
it.

“Sir, I can explain sir, see, my mum, she’s really crook — ” Leo began.

“Alright, Mancini. I haven’t got to your name yet,” Harry said mildly, and Leo
subsided, glaring at Scorpius.

34
“What? Not my fault you’re stupid,” Scorpius said. Leo rolled up his sleeves. Teddy
looked anxiously between them.

Harry sighed. It was clearly going to be one of those days.

____________________

He’d forgotten about Scorpius’s detention, until Scorpius barged straight into his
office without knocking. Harry had his feet up on the desk, marking assignments. He
was careful not to jump or flinch, remaining seated and calmly underlining sentences.

“Scorpius, I would appreciate it if you could knock. And what’s this I hear about you
bullying a little first-year kid?”

“We were only having a bit of a joke, sir, you know, just mucking around.”

“I don’t think the victim found it very amusing,” Harry said.

“Well, he just can’t take a joke then, can he?”

“Well, would you find it funny if somebody stole your favourite quill and dropped it in
a toilet?”

“Yeah,” Scorpius sniggered. “Favourite quill, that’s just stupid.”

“Scorpius, we have a zero tolerance policy on bullying. Professor McGonagall asked

me to give you a detention with Grimble tomorrow night.”

“Sir, I already got all this shit happening, I gotta try out for quidditch tomorrow — ”

35
“No. Detention. And mind your language.”

“Sir, it’s not fair, you hate me ‘cause I’m in Gryffindor — ”

“I was a Gryffindor myself, actually,” Harry laughed. “Now could you please hand in
your assignment?”

“Nah, I can’t sir, I’m stupid. Why don’t you write it, sir? You’re smarter than me.”

“I think you’re quite smart, Scorpius.”

“Nah, I’m dead stupid. I can’t even write properly. Dobbs told me I’m gonna be
famous as the only squib in Hogwarts.”

“Well, don’t listen to Dobbs,” Harry said, circling a word on a seventh-year

assignment.

“I don’t sir, his mum’s a troll with a wig on.”

Harry had to stifle a laugh. “Don’t be unkind.”

“It’s true, sir.”

“You’re on thin ice, Scorpius,” Harry said, although he was smiling. “How about I
make a deal with you?”

“Yeah?” Scorpius was suspicious, his grey eyes narrowed, and Harry was suddenly
reminded strongly of Draco.

“When your writing improves, you’ll submit any assignments you’ve missed?”

36
“Yeah, alright sir,” Scorpius said after a moment of thought. “Shake, sir?” He spat on
his hand.

“Er, no, thank you. I’ll take your word for it.”

“Alright, sir.”

“Good,” Harry said. “I’ll see you in class on Tuesday.”

Hopefully, he thought. Privately he wondered if Scorpius would survive the rest of

the school year.

____________________

He talked it over with McGonagall. Scorpius’s odd inability to write and read, the
deal they struck, Harry’s wish to tutor him. He dropped a few hints about wanting to
find out exactly why Scorpius was in second year, but McGonagall blithely ignored
them, although surprisingly agreed something must be done.

“The boy does need a bit of extra tutelage. I’ll schedule an extra class in for him. And
Potter?”

“Yes?”

“I’m really quite busy these days.”

“Alright,” Harry said cautiously, certain something horrible was about to happen.

“I’m too busy to be balancing my Head of House duties with my teaching and
headmistress duties.”

37
“Oh.”

“I’d like you to take over as Head of Gryffindor House.”

“Oh.” Harry’s face scrunched up unhappily. “I’m not sure I really...” he trailed off as
McGonagall glared. “Er...I mean...yes. I’ll take on the duties,” he mumbled.

“Good. I’ll see you on Saturday to discuss what the duties are.” She dismissed him
with the practiced ease of a professor who has been casually ridding their office of
students for years, but he lingered.

“Professor?”

“Yes?”

“I’m just wondering why Scorpius was placed in second year?” Harry asked blatantly.
McGonagall looked at him for a long moment, then spoke.

“He has already completed first year at another institution,” McGonagall said. “He
was expelled from Durmstrang last year.”

“Expelled!” Harry was amazed. “Whatever for?” The only student he had ever
known for being expelled was Hagrid, and that was for apparently opening the
Chamber of Secrets. What on earth could Scorpius have done?

“Too much mischief,” McGonagall said, looking at him over her spectacles. “One
thing after another. It finally escalated when he levitated a student out a third-storey
window.” She saw Harry open his mouth and quickly went on. “The student was

38
safely retrieved and unharmed but...not the sort of publicity Durmstrang needs,
considering their...reputation.”

Harry didn’t say anything. He was thinking of the kind of wizards who levitate
people.

“Don’t look like that, Potter,” McGonagall sighed. “He was only eleven. Just thought
it was a bit of fun.”

“So did the Death-Eaters,” Harry snapped back, but she just sighed, tapping her
wand lightly on the armchair.

“Potter, you must understand Scorpius is not responsible for his father’s actions. You
mustn’t judge him. And besides,” McGonagall said, smiling faintly, “I recall that a
particular professor once judged you on your father. You must know how unfair and
disadvantageous it feels.”

Harry couldn’t argue with that one. He rapidly changed tack.

“What about other students?”

“What about them?” McGonagall asked.

“Their safety, their wellbeing. Did you consider that?”

“Of course, Potter,” she snapped in reply. “Our students’ safety is our foremost
concern. We did take a risk accommodating Scorpius, but he seemed genuinely
willing to turn over a fresh leaf — ”

“His behaviour seems to indicate otherwise.”

39
“Nonsense,” McGonagall said dismissively. “The boy just needs a firm hand, a father
figure.”

“He already has a father figure,” Harry retorted. “And look where it got him.”

“Potter,” McGonagall said warningly. “It’s highly inappropriate to discuss his father’s
parenting methods. I will not have that sort of scape-goating happening.”

“No, professor,” mumbled Harry.

“And don’t let it get in the way of your teaching,” McGonagall added. However her
expression softened slightly as she looked at him. “Scorpius tells me you’re his
favourite professor.”

“No, I’m just the one he dislikes the least.”

“He tells me he quite enjoys your classes. Says the other teachers don’t think he’s very
funny, they take him very seriously and yell at him a lot. But he says you have a sense
of humour.”

“See? He just likes me because I’m letting him get away with things,” Harry muttered
dispassionately.

McGonagall just smiled.

____________________

Harry was unhappy. McGonagall’s suggestion of tutoring Scorpius had transformed

into an extra class. Apparently Leo could also do with some assistance in spelling and

40
writing, and one or two Hufflepuffs wanted help with their reading. There were also
two Slytherin boys that reminded Harry eerily of Crabbe and Goyle. So his free
Friday period was given up to this peculiar assortment of various students with
English issues.

“Alright, what’s missing from this sentence? ‘Some potion are really dangerous.’”

“Dangerous, sir, that’s a big word, sir.”

Harry couldn’t tell if Leo was being serious or just trying to patronise the slower
members of the class.

“Yes, Mancini, I suppose.”

“Can you spell it for me, sir?”

“Mancini, it’s on the board already. Just copy it down,” Harry said, trying not to snap.
He wasn’t here to teach English, for Merlin’s sake! He was a professor. He had more
important things to do. Like being at the pub, for example.

“Fucking?”

“What, Malfoy?”

“Is ‘fucking’ missing? ‘Some potion are really fucking dangerous.’”

“No, Malfoy. That’s not quite the answer I was looking for. And please mind your
language.”

“Alright, sir. Sorry, sir.”

41
“Ah, I got it, it a ‘s’, it missing, sir. It gotta be plural,” said one of the slow Slytherins.

“Yes, that’s right. Ten points to Slytherin.”

“What’s a plural, sir?”

“Malfoy, you know what a plural is. We went over it last week.”

“Yeah but I forgot.”

“Can I see your notes from last week?” Harry requested suspiciously.

“He didn’t take any notes, he just drew stupid quidditch pictures everywhere,” Leo
piped up.

“Shut up, Leo!”

“Why don’t you, you stupid tosser?” Leo shot back to Scorpius; Scorpius gave him a
sullen look but said nothing, scribbling down the sentence from the board. Harry was
impressed.

“Very mature of you, Malfoy. Five points to Gryffindor.”

“Oh, sir!” Leo was indignant. “What about me, sir? Look, I’m writing down the
sentence too.”

“What about me, sir?” asked Collette, a first-year Ravenclaw. “I didn’t retaliate when
that Slytherin dipped my plaits in his inkwell. Can I have ten points?”

42
“I only gave him five,” Harry said. He disliked Collette, and considered her to be a
blatant opportunist. She was the sort that would wear her hair in plaits until she was
at least twenty, in the hopes of everyone mistaking her for a small child and being as
nice and forgiving as possible.

“But sir — ”

“Sir, where’s my points?”

“Sir — ”

“It’s not fair, sir — ”

At that moment the clock chimed four o’clock, and the students joyfully leapt up,
yelling and jostling each other, leaving scraps of parchment, broken quills and disaster
in their wake. Harry was left alone, without thanks or praise.

“I want a raise,” he muttered.

____________________

He did get one, quite an impressive one.

“You’ve got three jobs now,” McGonagall said. Privately Harry thought Head of
House wasn’t really a job. He just had to do a few rounds of the Gryffindor common
room every now and again, sort out any scuffles that occurred. He learned quickly to
never take the fifth and sixth years seriously. There was always some urgent knocking
of his office door, some girl in floods of tears, babbling hysterically — Harry would
rush off only to find a group of indignant, outraged girls all pointing fingers at each
other and going on about petty fights and made-up rumours and other nonsense.

43
Now when he got the urgent knocking, the teary-faced girl, he just sighed and
carefully made a note of where he was up to in the assignments.

He was, presently, doing just that, marking the assignments (Teddy’s assignment was
excellent and Harry guiltily gave him an E; he decided to ask McGonagall to read
over it to rule out any bias). Scorpius had finally been able to submit the missed
assignment. It was only two feet long (it had been set at three feet) and at first glance,
Harry thought it had been written all backwards as a joke. However he soon realised
it was just Scorpius’s Merlin-awful grasp on spelling and grammar. He also seemed to
view the comma as his mortal enemy. However once Harry got over the smorgasbord
of bad grammar, he realised Scorpius actually had made a half-effort. He’d obviously
read the set textbook, for example, and had attempted to use references for the large
chunks of texts he’d taken.

Harry sighed and reached the end of the parchment. Certainly an O, E and A were
out of the question. A crueller teacher might slap a T on it without hesitation, but
Harry couldn’t quite bring himself to, somehow. But he wasn’t going to indulge
Scorpius and give him high marks just for handing something in. In the end, he
settled for a ‘P’, inking it in hesitantly and writing in some comments underneath:

Malfoy, it’s good you’ve made the effort and you clearly know the basic material. Your grammar still
needs a little work and perhaps next time you should try reading a few other textbooks, to get some
more ideas on the subject. Otherwise a decent attempt – in particular, I commend you on your excellent
paragraph on Grindylows.

“Professor!”

Harry sighed as a rain of knocking came.

“Yes?”

44
The door opened and two sixth-years came in, bursting with self-importance and
urgency. Harry sighed.

“I’m a little busy. I’m sure Appleby and Wilkinson can sort out their relationship
problems by themselves,” he said drily, cleaning his spectacles.

“Oh, sir, it’s not that, sir...” one of them babbled, dabbing at her eyes dramatically.
“It’s Whitby, sir, in a right state...”

“Whitby?” Harry said. Oh, one of those soap-opera girls. “I’m sure if you all sit down
and discuss the problems nicely...”

“But sir — ”

“...I’m sure everyone will forgive each other and be best friends again,” Harry said, a
little sarcastically. He really wanted a night off.

“No, sir, it’s Thomas Whitby, sir, Sarah’s brother — ”

“What?” Harry leapt to his feet.

“ — yes, sir, he’s bleeding — ”

“What happened?” Harry raced to the door, pulling it open and pelting along to the
Gryffindor tower.

“Just a nosebleed, sir, but — ”

“A brawl?”

45
“A curse, sir, from that horrid Scorpius — ”

“For goodness’ sake!” Harry snapped. The girls babbled over the top of each other,
fighting to get the information out first, racing alongside him.

“Yeah, he started it, see — ”

“We tried to stop him sir, honest we did, but he’s got such a temper — ” The girl
burst into tears. “Oh, I do hope they haven’t killed each other!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, quieten down,” Harry ordered, stepping through the portrait.
The common room was silent, deathly still; faces turned towards him. Some were
pale and still, others full of mischief and smirks, some just excited. Whitby was
surrounded by his mates on the far side of the room, nursing a bloody nose and a
black eye. Scorpius, apparently unscathed, was sitting by the fire, Leo and Teddy with
him. Leo looked angry, Teddy looked satisfied.

“Alright, what happened?”

The room broke into excited chatter, but Harry shushed them quickly.

“Whitby?”

“I was just sitting by the fire, sir,” Whitby said earnestly (and slightly thickly, as blood
bubbled), “when Scorpius came out of nowhere and started yelling it was his spot, sir,
he threw a curse — ”

“He’s lying, sir!” Leo hollered, leaping up.

“Sit down, Mancini.”

46
“But sir — ”

“I said sit down!” Harry snapped.

“No, he’s lying, he — ”

“Look,” Harry said evenly. “I’m just going to accept the fact it was one of those silly
little scraps over nothing, alright? So you can both apologise to each other and I can
get back to my office.”

“Sorry, Scorpius,” Whitby said.

“Good. Now apologise, Malfoy.”

“Sorry, tosser,” Scorpius muttered.

“Malfoy,” Harry snapped warningly.

“Alright. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry what?” Harry prompted.

“I’m sorry Whitby can’t duck in time.”

Leo and Teddy stifled grins; Harry was ready to Stun them all just to get rid of them
for the evening.

“Malfoy, that isn’t acceptable. Again.”

47
“I already said sorry!”

“Malfoy, one more time or it’s detention.”

“Alright, alright,” muttered Scorpius. “Sorry Whitby.” He managed to fit so much

sullen venom into those two words that Harry expected to see a trail of green vapour
in the air.

“Good,” Harry snapped. “Now I’m going back to my office, alright, and I don’t care
if you’ve all gone mad and are cursing each other into little piles of ash — just don’t
disturb me, alright? I mean it. First person who starts anything, I will personally see to
it that their week is filled with misery and despair. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they mumbled. The seventh-years all swapped grins: ooh, you’ve really pissed
the professor off this time! You lot are in for it now...

Harry ignored them and went straight to bed with a headache. He was beginning to
seriously doubt Scorpius’s ability to last the school year. Besides noting Scorpius had a
mean left hook, Harry had noticed that although Leo had jumped hotly to his friend’s
defence, Scorpius had just sat there and grudgingly accepted the punishment. He had
not even bothered to offer his side of the story.

He was clearly used to people not believing him.

____________________

Harry didn’t know if it was because of the brawl yesterday, but Scorpius seemed even
more fidgety and disruptive than usual.

48
“Alright, so we’ve covered Grindylows, Doxies, Red-Caps and Hinkypunks,” Harry
announced. The class had wanted to cover more exciting creatures like Dementors
and Bogarts, but Harry personally thought that could wait til third year. Their skills
just weren’t developed enough yet, despite their outrageous claims of defeating four
chimaeras when they were six and so on. “I think we’ve nearly covered the creatures
unit, excepting the last one on the list — the Blood-Sucking Bugbear. The first thing
to know is that these creatures can disguise themselves to resemble norma,
domesticated animals like cats or dogs; however there are one or two discrepancies.
Malfoy, stop chatting to Mancini, please. Now, can anyone name them?”

“Oh, they make a really peculiar noise, I think. Don’t they? Some sort of barking
sound...”

“Absolutely, Thompson. Five points to Ravenclaw. Anybody else?”

“They’ve got forked tails, I believe, sir.”

“Correct, Clark. Five points to Ravenclaw, again. Malfoy, please stop talking while
I’m talking. Now, there’s one more difference...come on...obvious one...”

A Slytherin boy rifled urgently through his notes and shot his hand up triumphantly.
“When they get cold, they exude a pale pink vapour, sir!”

“Yes, they do. Five points to Slytherin. Now, as they can tuck their tails away and
remain silent, the best way to tell if they really are a Bugbear is to throw a bucket of
cold water over them. Malfoy, I’ve warned you twice. That’s it. You can sit next to
Dobson, please.”

“Oh, not Dobson sir, he’s a twat — ”

49
“Just sit next to him, please.”

“I want to sit next to Leo and Ted, I hate Dobson — ”

“Malfoy, I asked you twice not to chat to Mancini. If you won’t listen to me, I’ll have
to sit you next to Dobson.”

Scorpius grudgingly collected his things, mumbling and grumbling, and sat next to a
very unhappy Dobson. Leo and Teddy pulled faces at him which Harry decided to
generously ignore.

“Alright, so that covers all the basic aspects of the Bugbear. Once you’ve thrown the
cold water on it and noted the pink vapours, it’ll probably be quite enraged,” Harry
said, to a few chuckles. “Retreat quickly and aim the Petrificus Totalus curse at it —
the one we practiced last lesson. Once hit by the curse, it will be frozen for some time
and you may simply pick it up and lob it away, kill it or just owl it off to someone you
don’t like.” The class laughed appreciatively and Harry went on. “The Bugbear is
known for its remarkable memory and once repelled by a witch or wizard, it will not
return to the dwelling.”

“Ouch!”

Harry glanced up. Dobson was looking outraged, a feather quivering into the back of
his hand.

“Sir, Malfoy stabbed me with his quill!”

“I didn’t sir, it slipped, sir, he’s just making up shit — ”

“Malfoy, language.”

50
“Sorry, sir,” Scorpius said, and as ever, Harry didn’t know whether to believe him.

“Don’t disrupt my class again, and please do not antagonise Dobson.”

“Sir, what’s antagonise?”

“Malfoy!” Harry said exasperatedly. “Look it up later, you’re disrupting my class! If

you don’t want to learn, stop wasting everyone’s time and just leave.”

“Yeah, cut it out Malfoy, some of us are here to learn,” somebody snapped.

“Yes, you’re being a little inconsiderate,” somebody else piped up.

“How are we supposed to learn with you interrupting all the time?” another called
out. Scorpius got up angrily.

“Fine, I’ll just leave then!” He looked to Teddy and Leo.

“Well, to be honest,” Teddy said quietly, “I want to actually pass that test on
Monday.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of important,” Leo squirmed, and Scorpius said nothing, kicking over
his chair and storming out, slamming the door behind him. The class tittered but
Harry quelled them with a glance.

“I think that’s enough drama for today. Let’s just get on with it. Alright, so let’s move
on to our revision of the Kappie.”

51
The class ran through the revision nicely. Harry had managed to teach them well,
despite Scorpius’s eagerness to interrupt and annoy. He excused the class early.

“Don’t forget the test next week! And I don’t want to hear any excuses about wands
not working properly or other such rubbish!”

They laughed and waved, disappearing out the door and into the crowds already
filling the corridor. Harry arranged his papers, thanking Merlin he had a lunchbreak
between his second and fifth year classes. He looked up as a shadow wavered across
his desk: Teddy, looking worried.

“Hey, Harry?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry about Scorpius.” Teddy looked quite earnest and Harry sighed.

“Don’t worry about him, Ted. The important think is to focus on your own
education.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Teddy said, still looking a little unhappy.

“And you’re doing an excellent job,” Harry went on. “I’m really proud of you.”

Teddy finally smiled at that and waved goodbye, racing out of the classroom to catch
up with his friends. Harry looked around the empty room, then began packing up his
things before walking out, locking it behind him with a simple spell. The fifth years
had taken to sneaking in during break and kidnapping his Grindylows, and he was
keen to avoid such mischief, although they were rather good-natured about it.

52
“Sir?”

Scorpius had appeared, not looking at him and pulling his sleeves over his hands — a
fidgety habit he had when he was angry, Harry had noticed. The sleeves were
stretched now, and unsightly. His first thought was that his parents were misers. Then
he realised his parents probably didn’t know. Scorpius didn’t seem like the sort of
child who would write home demanding new, perfect robes. Actually, would Scorpius
ever write home? Scorpius loathed writing. Too many stupid ‘bits and pieces’,
apparently. Commas, apostrophes and all that annoying stuff.

“Sir,” Scorpius said now, glaring at the floor. “Could I get my stuff out of the room
before you lock up, sir?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Harry stood back and let Scorpius gather his things from his
desk, shoving his textbooks roughly into his bag. “Ah, now, before I forget — ”

“I didn’t do anything, sir!” Scorpius protested.

“Yes, I just — ”

“They’re always trying to blame shit on me — ”

“No, Scorpius, I just forgot to give you your assignment back.” Harry handed it over
and Scorpius took it without a word, stuffing it straight into his bag without looking at
it.

“Aren’t you going to read through that, Scorpius?”

“No, sir. Why would I do that? Teachers just write mean shit all over it.”

53
“Language, Scorpius. And how do you know I’ve written mean remarks all over it?”

“It’s covered in red ink, sir, dead giveaway. All my assignments are covered in red ink,
sir, that Clearwater, she’s a real bitch, sir, isn’t she?”

“I’m not in a position to criticise my colleagues, Scorpius,” Harry said lightly. “And
don’t forget your remedial writing class on Friday. If you miss it again, you will have
detention.”

“That was Leo’s fault — ”

“Don’t blame Leo,” Harry sighed. “I know it was some mischief you were up to.
Don’t do it again or I’ll have a word with McGonagall.”

“Ah, sir, you sound just like Clearwater, sir — ”

“Good,” Harry said. “She’s an excellent, articulate professor.”

“No she’s not, she’s a bitch.”

“Detention,” Harry ordered. “Five o’clock tomorrow evening. You can report to
Grimble’s office.”

“You can take your detention and — ”

“Five o’clock,” Harry snapped over Scorpius’s stream of abuse, and strode away,
fuming. The impertinent little sod! Perhaps he really was like Malfoy, and Harry just
had too much pity for him. He flung a handful of powder into his office fireplace and
hoped Hermione would be about. She worked night shifts at St. Mungo’s and kept
very odd hours.

54
“Harry?” Hermione’s sleepy face appeared.

“Oh, did I wake you?”

“I was just dozing on the sofa. It’s not a problem. Is there anything wrong?”

“Yes. That Malfoy boy.”

“Oh, you’re not still having problems with him, are you?” she asked anxiously,
padding over to the far side of the kitchen and beginning to prepare a hot chocolate.

“Yes. He walked out of class today, then bailed me up in the corridor and started
calling Penelope Clearwater a bitch.”

Hermione’s expression didn’t change as she idly stirred some milk around. Harry was
suspicious.

“You don’t think she’s a bitch, is she?”

“Oh, Harry...it’s just...Neville pops in sometimes, and the things he’s told me...well,
she’s not a bitch, just a little...unprepared. She’s not used to troublemakers. She’s used
to quiet little university Muggles, scribbling down everything she says without
question. She’s really not suited to teaching children like Malfoy.”

“I suppose.”

“She gets very stressed, Neville tells me. Starts yelling at Malfoy, getting impatient
with him, shouting and giving him enormous amounts of detentions.”

55
“What sort of detention?” Harry said ominously, an image of Umbridge suddenly in
his mind. Hermione shook her head quickly.

“Oh, just organising old files and the like. But quite unnecessary, Neville thinks. She
doesn’t know how to handle him.” Hermione paused, looking at his downcast
expression. “You know, Harry...you could always discuss any behavioural problems
with his parents.”

Harry stared.

“Oh, Hermione. I do not want to go there.”

“Alright, your call,” Hermione shrugged, but Harry thought he detected a note of
unhappiness.

“I don’t particularly care, anyway,” Harry snapped. “The little troll can go Avada
Kedavra himself, for all I care.”

But the words sounded empty even to him.

____________________

However, Scorpius redeemed himself directly after Friday’s class. He had been
particularly quiet and alert, volunteering several answers for the first time ever. As the
class was dismissed, Scorpius approached Harry.

“Oh, Scorpius, you were very good in class today. But you’re still not getting out of
tonight’s detention,” Harry warned, packing up his books.

“Yeah, I know sir, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about Monday.”

56
“Monday?” What happened Monday? Scorpius had been the usual git. Nothing
different.

“Yeah, sir. I didn’t mean to piss you off, sir. Or say you were like Clearwater, sir, you’re
nothing like her. You’re real nice. You give me good marks.”

“Good marks?” Harry said, bewildered.

“Yeah, sir, you gave me a pass,” Scorpius said excitedly. “And you told me my
Grindylow shit was good.”

“Your Grindylow information was good.”

“That’s what I said, sir,” Scorpius said dismissively. “Anyway, thanks sir. That was
really nice of you.”

“You’re welcome,” Harry said, bewildered. “Although I didn’t give you the grade
because I’m nice. I gave you a passable grade because you did passable work.”

“Yeah, okay,” Scorpius said, before Leo bounded up beside him, out of breath and
grinning dangerously.

“Scorpius, the Slytherin boys have taken over our corner in the quadrangle again!”

“The fuckers!”

“Scorpius!” Harry said, outraged, but Scorpius was already racing around the corner,
parchment and quills flying.

57
And he didn’t know why, but Harry found himself laughing.

____________________

Harry liked Mondays.

He had his seventh year class, which he had to admit he adored. They were quiet,
hardworking and serious. They had their NEWTs and they knew they had to work
hard for a future. They lacked the drama of the sixth and fifth years, the immaturity
of the fourth and thirds, the irritating over-enthusiasm of the second and firsts.They
were currently holding their practical lessons, in which the sevenths were doing an
amazing job. Harry was impressed.

“You need to raise your wand a little higher, Robinson. The Expecto Patronus charm
will prove very ineffective if the wand movement is lacking. Viney, you need to really
put a bit more effort in. The Expecto Patronus requires mental effort as well as
physical effort. Concentrate!”

Gwen Thwistle gave a tiny cry as a silvery owl swooped from her wand.

“Oh, sir, I did it! A corporeal patronus! I’m so happy!”

“Keep being happy, then,” Harry laughed. “That’s the key.” He continued walking
around the room. Nearly everyone had a patronus by this point, although some were
not producing anything. At the end of the lesson, he noted their downcast faces and
tried to inject some encouragement into the lesson.

“Don’t worry if you’re still having difficulty. You’re all doing a wonderful job. Some
professors I know still can’t produce patronuses, so everyone here is doing extremely
well just for getting this far. Remember Christmas break is in just a couple of months,

58
and it would be great if you could add in some extra practice and all be able to
produce a Patronus by next year.”

They beamed at him. Harry couldn’t help thinking, guiltily, that they were his
favourite class.

____________________

On Friday, Harry decided to set a task: his English students had to write a letter
home.

“I dunno ‘bout no letters,” one of the Slytherins grunted. However Leo seemed
excited about it, whilst Scorpius was indifferent.

“My parents write all the time, but I never reply ‘cause I’m too busy. It’s real nice of
you to put the lesson aside for this,” Leo told Harry. Harry couldn’t be bothered
explaining it was actually a lesson. Besides, it was better if they all just assumed they
were slacking off.

“How’s your letter going, Miller?”

“It’s private, sir!” Miller said, shooting his arm across his paper.

“Of course. If you need any assistance, just call out.”

“That’s alright sir, I’ll get you to read through it after I’ve finished,” Miller said
earnestly.

“Alright. Yes, Dobbs, what is it?” Harry asked a frowning Slytherin.

59
“How do you spell ‘squid’, sir?”

“Er...s-q-u-i-d...” Harry said.

“Oh, great. Thanks. And what about ‘grapefruit’?”

Harry spelt it out for him. Ask no questions, he told himself. You probably don’t want
to know.

“Alright, time’s nearly up,” Harry called, and Miller hurriedly presented his letter.
Harry sighed and set about introducing the full stop to the parchment, whilst
Scorpius tried to shove Miller out of the way.

“My letter now, sir, I gotta go, come on, it’s nearly four...”

“Patience is a virtue,” Harry said, carefully adding an apostrophe.

“What’s a virtue?”

“It’s a venereal disease,” Leo told him. Harry snorted and they looked at him.

“What, sir?”

“Oh, nothing. Malfoy, hand over your letter.”

“Finally!” Scorpius hastily threw it down; Harry examined it briefly.

Hey Dad, I hope you are well I am well everything is real nice. I got into quidditch which is wicked,
im the chaser the captin says I have real good aim. I do alright too in class I got my assinemunt back
from my defence teacher, I past and he says I write good about gryndilows. Anyway Im sorry I didn’t

60
reply to youre letters sooner, you know I hate my letters but my defence teacher, he real nice and given
me extra lessins. Anyway I got to go coz I got quidditch training witch is fun.
From Scorpius.

“A very nice letter. I’m sure your father will be very happy to receive it.”

“He better be, it took the whole lesson to write,” Scorpius said. “And he knows I hate
letters.”

“I think he’ll be very impressed,” Harry said, handing it back to him. “I’ve circled all
your mistakes. Make sure you re-write it out nicely and send it out.”

“Oh, sir, I don’t want to copy it out again! Can’t I just send it out?”

“No. Re-write it. And congratulations on your quidditch title.”

“Oh, thanks sir. I’ve got my first match tomorrow, on Saturday,” Scorpius said.
“Clearwater gave me a detention and said I couldn’t go to quidditch, but I’ll be
playing anyway. It’s real important, I think.”

“Yes,” Harry said. “Quidditch is important. But it’s quite irresponsible of you to get a
detention on the day of your match. I’m sure you’ll get into a lot of trouble about it.”

“Yeah, but — ”

“And I’m sure your team will be disappointed.”

“I guess,” Scorpius mumbled.

“It’s alright,” Harry said. “I know how it is. I used to play.”

61
“I know, sir. My captain, Creevey, she says you were the best. She said you were the
world’s best seeker and you were a wicked captain too.”

“Creevey?”

“Yeah, sir. Emma Creevey. She says her brothers were in Gryffindor and they used to
go to all your matches and write home about it.”

“Oh. Well, good luck on Saturday,” Harry said, recovering from the surprise.

“Thanks, sir.” With that, Scorpius sped away, his letter crumpled in one hand and
something which looked suspiciously like a Weasley Wizarding Wheeze in the other.

____________________

Harry had qualms about the match. Scorpius had a short attention span, a quick
temper, and a slightly vengeful streak. Harry wouldn’t put it past him to cheat or beat
his way out of a mess. He could already see the outcries...

But it did go smoothly. It seemed to be a particularly rough game of quidditch; the

two Bludgers constantly narrowly missed players, and Scorpius was tumbled around
by gusty winds, once slamming into another player accidentally. To Harry’s surprise,
despite a bloody nose Scorpius just zoomed away, giving his nose a quick wipe on his
sleeve and arriving just in time to nab the Quaffle from underneath an opposing
Chaser’s hand, passing it to a teammate who managed to score a goal.

However, there were more surprises — the timid Topham-Viney girl was the
Gryffindor seeker, and she was an excellent one. She was a very thin, lanky, delicate-
looking student, and Harry thought that did not bode well. Seekers were, traditionally,

62
short in stature but sturdy, whereas she looked as though one gust would be enough
for her to tumble from her broom. Yet she clung on firmly, gazing around the pitch
and at other players, and the match ended when, to Harry’s surprise, she put up a
spirited fight against the opposing seeker and beat them to the snitch. The other
seeker was more muscular and had a better broom, but she handled the broom with
far more ease, and used better techniques to turn the wind to her advantage.
Harry rose and cheered with the rest, but had to leave regrettably early. It was his day
off, and he promised Hermione he would meet her in Diagon Alley.

____________________

“So, how’s teaching, professor?” Hermione teased him as he laughed and idly
browsed the Apothecary.

“It’s good. I love my seventh-years. They’re the ideal class.”

“And what happened to ‘oh, I’ll never be able to do it’?”

Harry just laughed and measured out a pound of Gillyweed. His Grindylows always
wanted more food, and he wondered how to sell them off to somebody else.

“How are the rest of the teachers?” Hermione asked lightly.

“Yeah, alright.”

“What about Wanda Westbrook?”

Harry frowned and rifled through his memories. Wanda Westbrook. Wasn’t she that
busy little Arithmancy teacher?

63
“Alright, I suppose,” he said slowly, bringing his purchases to the counter and handing
over some galleons. If Hermione was going to play matchmaker, he was not going to
make it easy.

“She’s an old friend of mine.”

“You never mentioned her,” Harry said suspiciously.

“Oh, well. You know. Ooh, there’s a new display in Flourish and Blotts!” Hermione
exclaimed, wandering out the apothecary and blinking in the light. “Anyway, she’s
expecting a little boy in March. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“I guess.” Harry was getting more and more confused, giving Hermione odd looks as
she peered into the window of Flourish and Blotts.

“There’s a new edition of Shadowcatcher: Fighting With Light out, Harry, you should
really get that. You need to be ahead in Defence texts.”

“Yeah...so, Westbrook is expecting?” Harry prompted her.

“Oh, yes. She’ll be off for maternity leave soon. By Christmas, I’d say.”

“Oh. And this has to do with me, because...?” Harry asked, absently following
Hermione into the bookshop and accepting a book she passed to him.

“Well, let’s just say you’ll be seeing a familiar face soon!” Hermione winked.

“A familiar face? What are you talking about? Hermione!” Harry called, but she was
gone, disappearing into the crowded Fiction section.

64
He sighed.

____________________

“I heard Westbrook is starting her maternity leave next week,” Neville observed,
buttering some toast.

“Yes, Hermione mentioned it to me,” Harry muttered. “Any idea of the substitute
teacher?”

“None so far.” Neville raised his voice slightly over the noise of the breakfasting
students. “Why, did Hermione drop a clue?”

“She said I should be expecting a ‘familiar face’.”

Neville shrugged, raising his eyebrows. “No idea, Harry. Maybe one of the old
Gryffindors? Dean or Seamus?”

“I don’t think so, did they study Arithmancy at all?”

“Not that I recall,” Neville admitted, and steadily stacked his plate with bacon as the
morning owls swooped down. As a general rule, staff owls arrived later in the day,
when staff could open them in their offices, in case parents sent Howlers in or other
such annoyances. Harry watched the students opening their parcels and letters
excitedly. Topham-Viney had a large parcel which Harry assumed was a
congratulatory gift from her parents for Saturday’s match. Next to her, Leo was
opening his usual bundle of letters and treats from his doting parents and his mass of
siblings. Scorpius too had a parcel from home — most unusual. He generally received
the odd letter or two from home (which he never opened or read at the table).

65
“Looks like Malfoy’s spoiling his kid. Like father, like child,” Neville laughed,
apparently also observing the students opening their mail. Harry and Neville watched
as Scorpius pulled out a large collection of Honeydukes sweets, much to the interest
of Leo and Teddy, who instantly began pleading for a chocolate or two. Scorpius
looked very smug, holding the parcel tightly to his chest and grinning widely and
happily.

“Oh, not that spoilt,” Harry admonished Neville. “That’s the first parcel he’s received
from home.”

Neville just laughed and shook his head.

“I’m glad you have his class first today,” Neville told Harry. “I bet you he’ll be scoffing
down those sweets and not listening to a word you say.”

“Cheers,” Harry said dryly.

____________________

On Friday, Scorpius approached Harry in the middle of their class. Harry had set
them to a task which involved recognising common grammar mistakes, and
surprisingly they had quietly accepted the work and gotten on with it.

“Sir?”

Harry looked up in surprise.

“Yes, Malfoy?”

“Sir, I was wondering if you could help me write another letter.”

66
“Another?” Harry asked, amazed.

“Yeah, sir. See, my dad was real happy with my last letter, he said my writing was real
good and he said he was proud of me and said if I keep at it, he’ll buy me a new
broom,” Scorpius said excitedly. Harry felt a sudden rush of — well, almost
friendliness — towards Malfoy. He had expected Malfoy to either spoil his son or just
ignore him completely, but it appeared that he did actually care for his son, and
wanted him to work towards goals. To actually earn things.

“Well, alright,” Harry said. “But you’ve got to finish this task first.”

“I have, sir.”

“I saw you, you just copied out Dobbs’s answers. Now go do it again.”

“Oh, sir,” Scorpius said unhappily, but Harry just laughed at his disappointed
expression and Scorpius retreated.

At the end of the class, however, Scorpius approached Harry with a bit of blank
parchment.

“Alright, what should I write?”

“Whatever you want to, Malfoy. It’s your letter,” Harry said, taken aback. “Just
update your father on news, tell him about your life. Like you did last time.”

“Yeah, but last time I wasn’t writing a reply. How do you write a reply? Here, read
Dad’s letter and tell me.”

67
Scorpius held out a badly folded letter; Harry politely refused.

“Scorpius, I can’t read your mail.”

“Why not?”

“It’s private,” Harry tried.

“No it’s not, I want you to read it. Tell me what to write back,” Scorpius said.

“Scorpius, it would be unethical.”

“You said you’d help!” Scorpius said, raising his voice, and Harry could see he was
getting frustrated and angry.

“Alright, alright,” Harry said quickly, taking the letter and scanning it. He wished he’d
never thought of this stupid letter-writing idea!

Hi Scorpius,
Thankyou for your letter, it’s good hearing what you’re up to at Hogwarts. It reminds me of the good
(and bad) times I spent at school. I didn’t know you could write letters so well!

Congratulations on your match too, I knew you’d win. I’m really proud you made the team — I bet
you’ll go on to win the quidditch cup too!

It’s good that school is going well — remember that your education is important and focus on it. A
solid education is everything. I’m happy you’re getting along with your teachers at last too. I’m glad
things are going more smoothly – keep at it and I promise you, you’ll have a Firebolt 1000 for
Christmas.

68
The letter ended there without a sign-off, and Harry thought Malfoy sounded well-
rehearsed at writing letters to his son. He had kept long words to a minimum, written
in short, simple sentences and had made it straightforward, though he’d made sure to
include plenty of encouragement.

“Well,” Harry said, “maybe you should write back asking him about what it was like
when he was at school, maybe.”

“Yeah, alright, he’s pretty cool like that,” Scorpius said. “Doesn’t ramble on like
stupid old people.”

“Er. Yes. Then maybe talk about your match, describe it,” Harry said, and Scorpius
jumped excitedly on that.

“Yeah! That’s a wicked idea, sir, I like that.”

“Good. Then maybe mention something positive about school. Another good mark
you received, or something.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Scorpius said dismissively, before picking up his quill and writing
excitedly whilst Harry began marking a stack of assignments he’d brought with him.
Half an hour later, Scorpius handed him the reply.

“What do you think, sir?”

Hi Dad,
What did you get up to when you were at school? I bet you weren’t as bad as I was I know I’m really
bad sometimes sorry about all that crap the Darmstrung teachers use to give you about me.
Anyway I draw you a wicked picture of the match, I was going to describe it but its real hard and
I’m no good with words.

69
Also I past my defence test on Monday, my teacher says I’ve got lots of enthuseiasm I just need to
hone my technicues (he talks a bit flash like that sometimes but he’s alright, he’s played quidditch too
did you know, he was seeker and captan! He’s wicked cool.
From Scorpius.

“Good, good effort,” Harry said, examining the quidditch illustration. It wasn’t
spectacular but it was a decent picture and Harry supposed he should just be grateful
Scorpius had bothered. “You need a little more work with your commas, but it’s good.
Your spelling is really improving.”

“I’m going to get that Firebolt,” Scorpius said determinedly, replacing his father’s
letter in its envelope. “You’ll see.”

“I’m sure you will. Remember to copy the letter out again,” Harry said, sliding
Scorpius’s reply across the desk. “I’m sure your father doesn’t want a letter with red
ink all over it.”

“Yeah, thanks sir.”

“You’re welcome.”

Harry wondered what Draco Malfoy would think if he knew Harry Potter was not
only reading his letters, but helping his son write replies.

____________________

“...I want to congratulate you all on your fantastic test results. Now we’re approaching
Christmas break and I appreciate the festive silliness, but please take the animated
reindeer spell off Dobson, or I’ll ban you from the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes,
alright, Williams?”

70
“You can’t ban me from a store!” protested Williams, whilst a glowering Dobson
tugged uselessly at the antlers growing from his arms.

“Oh yes I can.”

“No, you can’t,” Williams repeated, rolling his eyes.

“We’ll see about that,” Harry said, sighing and trying to think of a possible counter-
curse, although knowing Ron and George, there was probably absolutely nothing you
could do but wait out the humiliation. He could see Teddy grinning at him from
behind his textbook. The little git! Harry knew that at some point, all the time Teddy
spent with the Weasleys was going to have an influence. “Alright, now we’ve just about
wrapped up our Dark creatures unit, so we’ll be moving off onto the Dark objects
soon,” he went on, glaring at Teddy.

There was a sharp knock at the door; Harry turned and saw McGonagall standing
there.

“Yes, professor?” he asked politely. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a word with Malfoy.”

“Oh.” Harry glanced around the classroom and spotted Scorpius up the back, having
quill wars with Leo. He coughed loudly. “Malfoy? Malfoy! Professor McGonagall
needs you for a moment. You may be excused.”

“I didn’t do it!” Scorpius said instantly, spotting McGonagall. “It was those stupid
Slytherins — ”

71
“You can explain elsewhere, Malfoy,” McGonagall said crisply. “I’m sure Professor
Potter doesn’t need any more interruptions.”

They departed, and Leo looked goggle-eyed at the empty doorway, muttering to
Teddy about something. Harry cleared his throat and went on. “Please, concentrate.
Now, our final study of Dark creatures will finish with the study of the Mawklyn.”

Somebody’s hand shot up.

“What, Mancini?”

“Can I have a lavatory pass?”

“No, you may not,” Harry growled.

“But I really need to go!” Leo protested, the class snickering.

“Mancini, I’m certain the second I hand over that pass, you’re going to race off to
McGonagall’s office. I’m sure Malfoy can handle it himself. Now sit down and be
quiet.”

“Oh, sir, you’re cruel, sir,” Leo said, with tragic eyes.

“Only to little toerags like you,” Harry shot back irritably, before he could help
himself. The class laughed and Leo looked around at them before laughing himself.

“Yeah, sir, sorry, sir,” Leo grinned.

“No, I’m sorry,” Harry said, feeling remorseful. He knew he shouldn’t have snapped.

72
“Nah, you’re alright sir. I know it’s hard sometimes, teaching us,” Leo said, as the
class nodded their approval. “I bet we get really annoying sometimes.”

Harry instantly forgave him all the mischief he had ever caused, and had to stop
himself giving fifty points to Gryffindor.

____________________

Things only got better. At the next class, Williams’s hand shot up.

“Sir, you didn’t really owl Weasley’s, did you?”

“Yes.”

“Because they refused my order, and said not to give you cheek!” Williams waved a
letter around; the class roared with cheers and laughter.

“Good on you, sir!”

“You’re wicked, sir!”

“Good job, professor!”

The class milled around Williams, examining the letter and laughing uproariously;
quite unembarrassed, Williams laughed along with them. The class looked at Harry
with renewed respect.

“Anyone else trying to sneak in Weasley’s merchandise will suffer the same fate,”
Harry warned them, and they beamed up at him innocently.

73
“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”

“Yeah, sir, we do it to other professors all the time, but not you, sir.”

“Yeah, last week someone let off fireworks in Professor Clearwater’s class, sir. Dead
funny.”

Ah. So that was the little mid-class summons that Scorpius received. He’d have to
keep an eye on him.

“Alright. Enough chat,” Harry said sternly. “Let’s start on Dark objects. I have here
two Dark objects and one normal object. Williams! Which one is the normal one?”

“Oh, sir, it’s, uh, sir, it’s...” Williams eyed the objects mistrustfully. “Well, sir, that
music box, I don’t like the look of that, sir. I bet it plays some creepy little tinkly tune.
And I don’t like the look of that necklace, sir, jewellery’s always a bit dicey, isn’t it?
Probably got some ancient curse. So I’d say it’s the manchette, sir.”

“If you were to touch that manchette, Williams, it would strangle you on the spot.”

Williams went an odd pale colour.

“It’s the jewellery,” Harry announced. “The necklace is just your ordinary, run-of-the-
mill jewellery. Muggle-made. Semi-precious stones. But believe it or not, you can
actually tell Dark objects – with a trained eye, of course. Which is what I’m here for.
I’m also going to teach you about recognising and using defensive objects. What’s this,
for example?”

“Oh, that’s a Sneakoscope!”

74
“Very good, Lupin! Ten points to Gryffindor. Ten points to the next person who can
tell me what its use is.”

To his surprise, Scorpius called out.

“To see if people are sneaking up on you, sir!”

“Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor.”

“That’s not fair, sir,” a Ravenclaw piped up. “He probably just guessed from the
name, that was an easy answer.”

“I did not!” Scorpius yelled. “Take that back, you stupid tosser!”

“Alright, let’s just calm down. I asked a question and Malfoy answered it. There
shouldn’t be an issue,” Harry said mildly. “And Malfoy, I’m going to have to deduct
five points from you now.”

“Oh, sir, why sir?” Scorpius asked unhappily.

“I’ve already told you our policy on name-calling.”

“Yeah, serves you right, Malfoy,” sneered the Slytherin. Scorpius said nothing, then
looked at Harry expectantly.

“Sir, I didn’t call him a name. Can I get my points back for not calling him a name?”

“I’ll give you one point,” Harry laughed. The Slytherin’s hand shot up.

“Sir, what about me? Just then, I didn’t call him a name.”

75
“Webb, if I gave you a point for every time you didn’t call someone a name, Slytherin
would be ahead by five hundred points.”

“Oh, but sir — ”

“Alright, one point to you,” Harry laughed. “Now let’s get on with it, shall we? The
first thing about any chosen Dark object is that it’s active. Wizards and witches rarely
place curses within inactive objects. For example, paintings are rarely cursed because
they are not handled often. Malfoy and Mancini, stop chatting please. The most
commonly cursed objects are jewellery, books and furniture. Things people use
constantly, and things that they will come into direct contact with.” Harry became
aware of people discreetly shifting and packing up their bags quietly. “Alright, I
appreciate that you’re all impatient for lunch, so I’ll let you go. Remember you have
your third assignment due this week, and I will accept absolutely no excuses.
Especially from you, Mancini.”

The class filed out, chatting and busy, Scorpius seeming to take an age. Harry sorted
through his papers and glanced up briefly.

“Can I help you, Malfoy?”

“It’s about my assignment, sir. I really want to make an Acceptable.”

“Oh.” Harry checked his watch. “Well, listen, if you do the best job you can and
make a rough draft, I promise I’ll look through it on Friday and show you what you
need to do to lift the standard, alright?”

“Yeah, alright. Thanks, sir.” Scorpius turned to the door, then stopped. Harry looked
up at him, frowning, then glanced at the doorway.

76
Draco Malfoy was standing there.

____________________

“Malfoy?” Harry said incredulously.

“You know my dad?” Scorpius asked, staring at him.

“Yeah, he — ” Harry began, but Draco cut quickly over the top of him.

“Lucas Malfoy.” Draco offered his hand quickly, his eyes unreadable. Harry frowned.
“I’m sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else.”

“Er...” Harry wavered for a moment, then gave up. “Yes, my apologies. Professor
Potter.” He shook Draco’s hand quickly, firmly. He expected Draco to try and crush
his hand, but he did nothing, just smiled politely. Harry was at a loss. Lucas Malfoy?
What was Draco playing at? “Can I help you at all, Mr Malfoy?”

“I’m meeting McGonagall in her office at half-three,” Draco replied. “I arrived early
and thought I heard my son’s dulcet tones on my way through.”

Harry tried not to stare. “I’m meeting McGonagall at four. To discuss Scorpius’s
progress.”

“I told her I didn’t fucking do it, sir, it’s that Clearwater, sir, she’s got it in for me,”
Scorpius said hotly, following them down the corridor. “That fucking firecracker shit –
— she doesn’t know how to have a fucking laugh, sir — ”

“Language, Malfoy,” Harry said coolly.

77
“Oh, sorry sir, I forget sir. Hey, sir, I really liked your lesson, it was great, I reckon it
could’ve been better though,” Scorpius said mischievously.

“Oh? How so?”

“You should’ve let Williams get that manchette, sir.”

Harry laughed as Scorpius grinned. “Somehow I don’t think I would have kept my
job, if I did that.”

“Oh, sir, I’d let you.”

“Well, thank you, Scorpius.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

Harry chanced a glance at Draco, but he was looking straight ahead, looking
unhappy. Harry wondered what Scorpius had done this time. Something big, to have
his father called in.

They reached McGonagall’s office and she welcomed Draco in, smiling.

“Ah, now. Scorpius, you may go.”

“Why?” Scorpius demanded. “It’s not fair.”

“Malfoy,” McGonagall snapped warningly, and he raged all the way out the door,
standing outside the office and kicking at the wall as Harry gently shut the door
behind them, setting off down the corridor to mark his papers. He was surprised to

78
find that when four o’clock rolled around and he made his way back to the office,
Scorpius was still slumped outside McGonagall’s door looking morose. Harry ignored
him and knocked on the door.

“Enter,” McGonagall called and Harry stepped into her office. He was surprised to
find Draco still there. Harry took a seat, the fartherest possible from the man, and
looked to McGonagall expectantly.

“Now,” McGonagall said, adjusting her spectacles. “I apologise for cutting into your
time, Potter, but — ”

“Problems with Scorpius?” Harry asked. McGonagall sighed.

“As I was saying to Mr Malfoy, Scorpius has become rather difficult in class. He
refuses to hand in assignments, frequently disrupts class, derides other students often,
and delights in vandalism. One of our professors was severely shaken by an apparent
‘prank’ last week, Potter Despite discussions, he refuses to behave.”

“What are you saying?” Harry asked.

“Well,” McGonagall said, shuffling some parchment around, “having just been over
several alternative options with Mr Malfoy, none of which we both agree on,” she
paused, “perhaps we should consider placing him back on his medicated potions.
Frankly, I won’t tolerate this sort of behaviour. I can handle the silliness, the
misbehaviour, but I won’t have my professors being scared for their safety. And there’s
no point teaching a student who does not want to learn.

“He wants to learn,” Harry said earnestly. Both Draco and McGonagall turned to
stare at him. “Only five minutes ago he asked me to assist with an assignment. He
told me he wants to receive good marks.”

79
“Well,” McGonagall said, “I have to say that’s just one exception in many classes. I
really think placing him back on his medication is the best move to make. As his
parent, Mr Malfoy, you need to authorise his medication. And Potter, as Head of
House you need to be aware of this and any issues which arise from it.”

Draco sat for a moment, apparently considering things. Then he shrugged. “Put him
back on the potions,” he said tiredly, and Harry felt a sudden stab of pity for him.
McGonagall leant back.

“Very well. Potions it is. Madame Pomfrey assessed him last week and contacted his
Healer.”

“Yes, the Healer and I have discussed it.” Draco nodded.

“We’ll need you to sign the medical documents.”

“Of course,” Draco said, accepting a quill from McGonagall and signing the roll of
parchment she slid across the desk. Harry watched, staring at Draco’s signature,
written in a strong and graceful script but, surprisingly, without flourish.

“Thank you, Mr Malfoy. I apologise for the inconvenience.”

“It’s not a problem,” Draco said quietly, shaking her hand and picking up his cloak.
Harry got up after him, nodding at McGonagall and following Draco out the door.
Scorpius leapt up.

“What’s going on? You were in there ages. Hey, Dad, what’s happening?”

“You’re going back on your potions.”

80
To Harry’s surprise, Scorpius let out a howl of outrage.

“No fucking way!” he screamed, launching himself at his father, who brushed him off.
“No! No! I’m not fucking going back on them! No! You can’t fucking make me! I hate
you!” he shouted, trying to grab Draco’s robes. “I fucking hate you! I’m not going
back on them! Fuck you!”

Draco simply ignored him, walking on, until Scorpius fell back.

“I’m not coming home for Christmas! You hear me? I’ll go — I’ll go — live with
Professor Potter!”

“I don’t think so,” Harry said hastily. “And you shouldn’t talk to your father like that.
He’s just trying to do the best thing for you.”

Scorpius glared at him. “Fuck you too, then sir! I fucking hate both of you!”

“Detention. You will not speak to me like that.”

“You can go shove your detention, sir — ”

“Twenty points from Gryffindor,” Harry said calmly, walking past him and leaving a
screaming Scorpius in the corridor. He strode easily and found himself level with
Draco. They walked in silence for a moment, then –

“Fuck, what a little hellraiser,” Harry said, exhaling loudly.

Draco looked at him. There was a long pause.

Then he started laughing.

81
 ____________________

“You’re the first person to ever tell me that, Potter,” Draco told him as they stood
outside the gates of Hogwarts.

“Yeah, well. Someone’s got to.”

“You don’t seem to hate him that much though,” Draco said.

“He’s alright.”

“You must have known he was my son.”

“Yes,” Harry said simply.

“I was watching the lesson,” Draco said. “I found it quite interesting.”

“Yeah, well, Dark objects are your speciality, aren’t they?” Harry said.

Draco looked at him for a long moment, standing there in the snow. The sky was
already darkening, their breath coming out in white puffs.

“I don’t think so,” Draco said after a moment. “I never really knew that much about
them, as it turned out.”

With that, he walked away into the shadowy hills, his hands deep in his pockets,
leaving Harry alone by the gates.

____________________

82
“Harry!”

He had just entered the front doors of Hogwarts and was brushing snow from his
shoulders, considering giving dinner a miss. He glanced up absently, then stared.

“Ginny?”

“Oh, Harry, it’s wonderful to see you!” She looked beautiful, as always. Her long,
copper-coloured hair shone and her freckles danced as she smiled, her brown eyes
shining with happiness. “You’ll never believe it, Harry, I’m taking over for Professor
Westbrook!”

“That’s...good, Ginny,” Harry said, his mind a blank. “That’s really...

congratulations.”

Ginny laughed, then swooped forwards and gave him a brief hug. For a moment he
felt the softness of her robes, the warmth of her arms and the lovely perfume she
always wore. Then she stepped back, smiling.

“It’s just wonderful, Harry, I never thought I’d land this job, not in a million years.
And now I’m the youngest professor! Come to claim your title,” she laughed, winking
at him, but he could only dredge up a tight smile.

“Yeah, that’s great, Ginny. Really good.”

“Shall we go in?” Ginny asked excitedly. “They’ll announce me at the feast tonight.
It’s all so exciting!”

83
“Er...you know what, I’m not really that hungry.” The encounter with Draco had
startled Harry, and he thought it was quite enough for one night. Ginny, however, had
other ideas.

“Don’t be silly, Harry, you must be there! I’d feel so much better with a few familiar
faces, just come in and have a quick snack!”

“Um, I’m really tired — ”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s only six. Come on!”

“Ginny — ”

“Oh, it’s just how I remembered it, it’s absolutely gorgeous!” Ginny said, striding into
the Great Hall.

“Just how you remembered it?” Harry repeated. It wasn’t how he remembered it. He
remembered bloodstains and screams and desperate faces. He remembered Neville
screaming with a flame of fire over his eyes. He remembered Draco slumped against
a wall, realising Crabbe had died in the horrific Fiendfyre. He remembered Hagrid
carrying him, sobbing, to the castle grounds. He remembered Remus Lupin’s cold,
pale body lying in this very hall.

“...absolutely wonderful, oh, look at that beautiful ceiling! I’d nearly forgotten. It’s
been how many years? I’ve honestly lost count. Oh, where am I sitting? I can’t believe
I’ll actually be up at the old staff table...it all feels so peculiar...”

“I have to go,” Harry mumbled, pulling away from her and walking quickly through
the doors, ignoring her calling after him.

84
 ____________________

Harry patrolled the castle at lunch, keeping students out of mischief. It was cold and
snowing out; the winter had come early, and forced students to stay inside and get
bored quickly. And a bored student did not bode well. He sighed as he spotted the
Slytherins and Gryffindors squabbling in a corridor.

“I know that’s my quill, Dobbs, you nicked it from me yesterday!”

“Why don’t you come and get it then, eh?”

“Give it back or we’ll duel you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah! Right here, right now!”

“Oh dear,” somebody whispered near Harry. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, they’re just having a little row,” Harry said. “Just ignore it. Someone’ll make a
few vague threats, then they’ll all pretend they heard the bell sound and wander off.”

“How awful,” Ginny said. “It could escalate.”

“But it won’t,” Harry pointed out.

“Isn’t that Malfoy’s boy?”

“Oh, did Ron tell you...?” Harry asked.

85
“Don’t worry, I know sensitivity is needed. I’ll sort it out,” Ginny said, striding over
and speaking loudly. “Alright, what’s going on?”

They all looked sullenly at each other and refused to answer her.

“I think I know,” Ginny said, putting an arm around Scorpius. He looked horrified.
“Picking on this little fellow, are you? Having a bit of a go at him because of his dad?”
They all looked confusedly at each other. Scorpius tried in vain to escape but he was
firmly clamped to Ginny’s side.

“Well, I think we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. It’s alright,” Ginny said in a soothing
tone to Scorpius. “I’ll see to it that you aren’t bothered again.”

Scorpius shot off a reply that was, thankfully, muffled by Ginny’s robes. She nodded,
“Now, let’s all get along, shall we? No more picking on people like Malfoy here,
right?”

“Yeah, right, miss,” the boys grinned, nudging each other.

“Good. Now how about you all run along to the library and study together?” Ginny
said brightly, releasing Scorpius and striding off. The boys howled with laughter,
pointing at the humiliated Scorpius, who was instantly outraged.

“Fuck off, all of you, you stupid bastards! And thanks for nothing, Leo!” he said,
rounding on his friend.

“What was I s’posed to do?” Leo tried, but Scorpius was having none of it and the
next second a fight broke out. Harry quickly strode over.

86
“Alright, break it up or detention for everyone! Ten points from Gryffindor, ten from
Slytherin. Quit with these stupid fights. It’s just a bloody quill and you’re not fooling
anyone, Dobbs, I know that’s Mancini’s. Give it back,” Harry snapped. Leo’s father
sent him novelty quills which Leo adored, and Dobbs’s claim to own the oversized,
electric- blue quill was fooling nobody. “Go on, hand it back,” Harry added irritably
and Dobbs reluctantly handed it over. The boys had the grace to look ashamed,
shuffling their feet around.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Sorry, professor.”

“Good. Now you Slytherins, you can go north, and you Gryffindors go south. That’s
right. Different directions. Walk away from each other. And yes, I’ll stand here until
you both disappear from sight. Go on, split,” Harry ordered, and with last narrowed
looks at each other, they turned and walked away.

“What happened?” Ginny had arrived back, having finished dealing with a lovestruck
couple in an abandoned classroom.

“Bit of a fight.”

“See, it did escalate.”

He sighed loudly.

____________________

It was Scorpius’s first day on his potions next week, and Harry got to see the effect it
had on him. He seemed a little quieter in class, but otherwise unchanged.

87
“Alright, I’ve finished marking your assignments,” Harry said, passing them out.
Scorpius accepted his with a brief glance, then cried out.

“Sir! I got an A!”

“I received an E,” a Hufflepuff said a little pompously, but Scorpius ignored him.

“Oh, sir, you’re dead wicked, sir. I’m gonna tell McGonagall to give you a pay rise.”

“That’d be nice,” Harry laughed. “But I don’t think it’ll happen.”

“Yeah, sir, dead true. You’ll get an extra billion galleons a week.”

Harry laughed, shaking his head. He noted Teddy glowing with satisfaction at his
mark — an O. He knew Teddy would rather die than tell anyone, though. He
wouldn’t want to risk being placed in the ‘teacher’s pet’ group with Dobson.

“Alright, let’s get on with it. Anybody unhappy with their mark can discuss it with me
afterwards. Now, continuing our introduction of Dark objects...”

The rest of the lesson passed without comment. Scorpius seemed to be particularly
quiet, scribbling madly away. At the end of the lesson, he approached Harry’s desk
and pushed a piece of parchment over the desk — what Harry had, very happily,
assumed to be Scorpius’s notes.

“It’s a letter, Professor,” he said. “To my Dad. I was hoping you could have a look.”

“This is what you were writing all lesson?” Harry sighed.

88
“Yeah, sir.”

Nevertheless, Harry examined it briefly.

Hey Dad,
Thanks for your letter this morning, I’m sorry I got mad at you and I lied actually I do want to come
home for cristmas I’m sorry I said all that shit. Anyway quidditch is going really good, I got my next
match next weekend its against ravenclaw which is annoying because they’ve got a real big chaser who
looks like he could knock me of my broom but Leo says if he trys anything the Gryffindor boys will
get together and kick his arse from here to Manchester.

Also I got an A this morning in defence. Potter’s a dead nice teacher, I told him I’ll get him a pay rise
but he luaghed and said he don’t think he get one.
Anyway wrote back soon coz I need to know bout cristmas break and all that shit.
From Scorpius.

“This is wonderful, Scorpius,” Harry said, smiling. “Barely a single spelling mistake,
and you’re getting very good with your apostrophes and capital letters.”

“Thanks, sir.”

“What about your mother?” Harry asked, suddenly realising, guiltily, he’d never asked
if Scorpius wanted to write a letter to his mother.

“Nah, sir, she’s dead, sir.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright sir, she died ages ago. I can’t remember her.”

“That must have been horrible.”

89
“Not really, she died when I was real little, I don’t even remember her name.”

“Oh.”

“I asked Dad once but he got upset so I didn’t ask again.”

“Er. Right. Well, I’ll, er, see you later, Scorpius.”

“Yeah, cool sir, catch ya.” And Scorpius was gone, leaving Harry sitting
uncomfortably at his desk. Merlin, what an awkward, horrible conversation. Yet
Scorpius was so blasé about it, so uncaring.

He sighed and began collecting his papers, then frowned. Scorpius had left his
textbook behind, a slip of parchment wedged underneath it. Was it his or Scorpius’s?
Feeling slightly guilty, Harry took the parchment and scanned it quickly.

I pray for the moon to forever wane

I plead for the stars to fade
I wish for the night to never return
I fear what the darkness has made.

I cry for the dawn to find me

I see it all fading, every last mark
Turn up the lights, make them burn bright
I don’t want to go home in the dark.

He frowned. It was like a poem, or a riddle. He stepped out into the corridor and
spotted Scorpius at the end of the corridor, fooling around with Leo.

“Scorpius!”
90
“Alright, sir, I’m moving along,” Scorpius called back, picking up his bag hastily. He
often got in trouble for loitering between classes.

“No, I mean...come here, you left your textbook behind!”

“That’s okay, I don’t want it. Just kidding, sir,” Scorpius said quickly, and reluctantly
mooched back towards the classroom.

“And you left this behind, too,” Harry said, handing over the textbook and poem.
“Did you write this yourself ?”

“Ah, sir...” Scorpius said reluctantly, then looked around. “You got to promise you
won’t tell.”

“Alright.”

“It’s my Dad’s, he wrote it for me. He used to sing it to me when I was real little,”
Scorpius said. “Like a lullaby, except not one coz I don’t need no fucking lullabies,
they’re for babies and pansies.”

“Yes, alright,” Harry said hastily. “An interesting lulla — er, song.”

“Nah, not that interesting. Makes sense, see. Makes perfect sense.”

“Would you move it, we’re late!” Leo hollered from his end of the corridor, and
Scorpius shot off.

Harry frowned.

91
Makes perfect sense.

Well, to the normal person it was just nonsense.

...to the normal person.

He stared for a moment, then raced to McGonagall’s office.

____________________

“I know.”

“You know?” Harry was incredulous. “You knew Scorpius was a werewolf when you
enrolled him?”

“Potter,” McGonagall said, “I thought you of all people would advocate the equal
treatment of werewolves.”

“Well — yes, I do — it’s just — steps should be taken, precautions and — ”

“And I’ve thought of it all, Potter,” McGonagall said gently. “Rest assured I have
discussed this with Scorpius and his father, and a procedure is in place.”

“What kind of procedure?”

“Potter, that is confidential information. All you need to know is that the students’
welfare is taken care of and Scorpius knows what to do.”

“But he isn’t really...the most reliable person.”

92
“I can assure you, everything has been thought of.”

“Are you using the Shrieking Shack?” Harry demanded.

“Potter, all you need to know is that the students are safe!” McGonagall said with
exasperation. “And you have a class in five minutes.”

“I know, I just — ”

“We have control over the situation, Potter. Please, prepare for class.”

Defeated, Harry reached for the doorknob.

“And ensure this matter remains confidential,” McGonagall said sharply.

“Of course!” Harry said, wounded, and slammed the door behind him.

____________________

“Harry!”

“Oh. Hi, Ginny.”

“Are you alright?” Ginny looked at his pale face, struggling to keep up with him,
dropping parchment and quills along the way.

“Yes, I just — I’m late for class,” Harry snapped.

“Oh. Anyway, a bunch of teachers were thinking of heading to the Three

Broomsticks on Saturday, I thought you might like to come along...?”

93
“Er...”

“It’s for Professor’s Mamble’s fortieth birthday.”

“Um...I don’t really know her that well. Ginny, I’ve really got to go, I’ll talk later,
alright?”

“But — alright!” Ginny called after him reluctantly.

As he hurried into the classroom and began leading his seventh-years into a prac
lesson, he wondered why he seemed so determined to avoid Ginny. After all, his social
life currently consisted of floo’ing Hermione and Ron once a week and having the
odd conversation with Neville between classes. It would be good for him to get out
and catch up with Ginny. Certainly, they’d had a brief yet tumultuous relationship,
but they’d both moved on and he was comfortable being friends.

Wasn’t he?

____________________

“I’m so glad you decided to come along,” Ginny beamed, giving him another brief
hug. “It’s going to be so fun, I haven’t been here since I was seventeen! Oh, doesn’t
the village just look beautiful with all the snow...”

Harry nodded his agreement, treading softly through the crisp snow, muddying it
around the cobblestones. He didn’t know what on earth possessed him to accept
Ginny’s invitation. He didn’t even know this professor – perhaps they’d nodded to
each other once or twice in the staffroom, but that was it. He shifted uncomfortably as
they entered the Three Broomsticks.

94
“Oh, Harry, look! Madame Rosmerta! Fancy her still being here, after all this time.
She still looks young as ever! How does she keep it up?”

She doesn’t look young as ever, Harry thought privately. He could see the tiny
wrinkles already forming around her smile, and her eyes had an old look in them, that
had not been there before the war. She would have been the earliest affected, being
placed under Draco’s Imperio. He sighed.

“Oh, still making eyes at her, are you Harry?” laughed Ginny. “Wait til I tell Ron she’s
still working here, I wonder if he still fancies her?”

“I think he’s grown out of his schoolboy crushes,” Harry said dryly, but Ginny was
already striding away, pulling out a chair and greeting the other professors with
cheerful chatter. Harry liked that about Ginny, her naturalness, the way she laughed
and smiled and made friends so easily. She was like a bright flame, vivid and forever
youthful. Even had that same perfume she had used so many years ago at Hogwarts.
It was like she was untouched, untainted by the past.

“...absolutely beautiful, isn’t it Harry? We had a wonderful time walking down here.
Oh, here’s the birthday girl! I must shout you a drink.”

“Oh, it’s bad enough being forty,” the unhappy birthday ‘girl’ sighed.

“Just wait til you reach fifty,” Professor Grubbly-Plank said, grinning.

“Oh, don’t! Don’t even talk about it. Oh, someone get me a gin and tonic.”

They laughed and ribbed her, Harry smiling awkwardly. He had nothing to say and
nobody spoke to him; he lurked on the edges of conversations and wondered how

95
much longer he’d have to hang around before he could politely excuse himself.
Neville had the right idea, staying back at Hogwarts.

“...fantastic, absolutely fantastic!” Ginny was saying to Grubbly-Plank. “I remember

our lessons, they were great.”

“Oh, you’ve made me feel so old,” Grubbly-Plank replied. “One of my students, now
a professor!”

“Oh, that wasn’t my intention. Not at all. So, you’ve got Hagrid’s old job, have you?
How is he?”

“Off in France with that Maxime, from what I hear,” Grubbly-Plank said crisply. “We
had a bit of a send-off.”

“Oh yes, I remember, there were a few notices in the paper!” Ginny laughed.

“I’m just going out for some fresh air,” Harry muttered. Ginny barely paused mid-
chatter.

“Oh, alright. Don’t catch a cold! Anyway, what you were saying, Odette?”

Harry manage to disentangle his chair from the surrounding ones and battle his way
out the busy pub and into the still, calm night.

“Please don’t tell me all the professors are in there getting drunk.”

Harry jumped slightly, then looked around.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

96
“Business,” Draco replied. “Unlike you.”

“Business?” Harry asked suspiciously, hit by the memory of Draco in Bolger and
Burke’s, perusing Dark things in shadowy corners. He narrowed his eyes.

“Yes. My work requires a lot of travelling.”

“Your work,” Harry said flatly.

“Yes. I had business in Aberdeen, thought I’d take a shortcut through here.”

“Oh.” Harry had absolutely nothing to say. Draco Malfoy, employed. He realised too
that Draco was wearing Muggle clothes. Quite nice Muggle clothes, but Muggle
clothes nevertheless. What on earth was the world coming to?

“I wish I hadn’t.”

“What?” Harry looked at him.

“I wish I hadn’t come here.”

“Yeah, it’s horrible, isn’t it?” Harry said automatically.

“God-awful. All this snow. Reminds me of the last winter I spent here,” Draco
murmured. Yes, thought Harry. Voldemort’s puppet. You little weasel.

“Yeah. I don’t like the snow either. It makes everything look...pretty.” Harry instantly
wished the words back into his mouth, but Draco just nodded.

97
“Puts a gloss over it.”

“Buries the bloodstains,” Harry agreed. Draco took a packet of cigarettes from his
pocket and charitably offered Harry one. “No thanks. And if you’re going to smoke,
do it downwind of me for Merlin’s sake.”

“Not one of those militant anti-smokers, are you?”

“Yes. God knows why you’re stupid enough to grow up surrounded by cancer
warnings and gruesome pictures, then pick up a packet of smokes and start a habit.”

“Alright, don’t get your robes in a knot,” Draco said warily. They stood in silence,
Draco trying unsuccessfully to light his cigarette. “Got a light?”

Harry stared at him. “What? Are you a wizard or not?”

“I haven’t got a wand,” Draco said.

“Why not?”

“I lost it.”

“You lost your wand?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Yes. Ten or so years ago.”

“And you never got a new one?”

Draco just shrugged. Harry sighed and held the tip of his wand to Draco’s cigarette;
the tip shone a dull red, then transferred the glow to Draco’s cigarette.

98
“Cheers.”

They stood in silence, in darkness, in the snow. Through the glowing windows the
pub, a cheer rose. Draco glanced briefly at the doorway.

“Fond memories.”

Harry laughed. “Yeah. Fond memories. Madame Rosmerta’s still there, if you want to
say hello.”

“I think she’d kill me.”

“Probably.”

Draco peered around the street, frowning.

“If you’re looking for an ashbin, you won’t find it,” Harry said, turning to return to
the Three Broomsticks.

“Hey, Potter,” Draco said quickly; Harry paused.

“What?”

“Is Scorpius happy in Gryffindor?”

“What? Oh, yeah. He’s got a few friends. He’s alright.”

“He’s alright,” Draco repeated quietly. Then, louder, “Well, as long as he’s happy.”

99
“He’s fine.” Harry paused, and Merlin knows what made him do it, but he glanced
up at the sky for a moment, at the full, heavy moon, still low in the sky. Draco
frowned for a moment, following his glance.

Then Harry disappeared back into the happy cheer of the pub.

____________________

“Oh, Harry! There you are!” Ginny laughed, reaching out and pulling a chair out for
him. “I missed you.” She observed his rosy complexion and shook her head. “I knew
you’d get too cold out there. Give me your hands.”

“Ginny — ” protested Harry, but she picked up his left hand and rubbed it vigorously
between her palms.

“See, they’re absolutely freezing!” she laughed. “What on earth were you doing out
there?”

“Just...looking around...”

“Yes, isn’t it magical? The snow...”

...puts a gloss over it...Draco’s serious, pointed face flashed through Harry’s mind.

“...makes it look positively beautiful. Are you alright, Harry? You’re being rather
quiet.”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m fine. Just a little...got a bit of a cold. You know, I think I’ll head back
now.”

100
“Already?” Ginny said, pulling a face. “Well, let me walk you back, at least.”

Despite Harry’s gentlemanly refusal, she took him by the arm and led him outside,
their feet crunching into the snow. Ginny’s eyes glittered and her hair gleamed in the
glow of light from the windows. Harry had to stop himself reaching out and touching
it, feeling its softness.

“Just let me get my gloves on. Oh, isn’t it cold! Christmas break is next week, isn’t it? I
bet you’ll be glad for the break. Any plans?”

“Not yet,” Harry said softly. They walked on in silence, until Harry spoke.

“Ginny...doesn’t it ever make you sad?”

“What?” Ginny asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Hogwarts. Hogsmeade. Don’t you ever see the bloodstains?”

“Harry, what are you talking about? There’s no bloodstains.” Ginny took his hand,
fumbling in her gloves. “There’s no bloodstains.”

“There’s no bloodstains,” Harry repeated quietly, staring at her. “No Battle. No

bloodstains.”

“Battle? Harry, the Battle was a long time ago,” Ginny smiled, shaking her head;
flakes of snow drifted gently through the copper strands. “And now there’s a beautiful
sky and beautiful stars and everything is beautiful.” She was close now, looking up at
him through her clear brown eyes.

And he let her kiss him.

101
 ____________________

Everything is beautiful.

It was, to Ginny. So untouched by everything around her. No bloodstains on her

robes, no screams in her ears, no dirt on her hands, no curses on her lips. She was
perfect.

Harry wasn’t perfect, and he knew that. He was far from perfect. Every time he
opened his eyes, the bodies arced through the air like falling stars. Their hair flew like
ribbons, their eyes wide as glittering coins, the pupils dark as night, and Harry heard
the bones and hearts break. There was a sadness in him that Ginny could never
reach.

That’s what he knew, when he kissed her lips. That’s what he saw, when he looked
into her eyes. Nothing but joy and loveliness.

And blissful, blissful ignorance.

____________________

He intended to spend the Christmas break catching up with assignments and doing
his lesson plans. Ginny objected loudly.

“Harry, you must come celebrate Christmas with us! You’ve spent nearly every
Christmas with us. It’s a tradition.” Ginny quirked an eyebrow, waiting.

“I’m fine, Ginny. I’m happy here.”

102
“Nobody wants to spend their Christmas in a great big empty castle,” Ginny
admonished. “You’ll only get that mopey look on your face and stare into space for a
week.”

“Well, sometimes I like being alone and staring into space.”

“Nobody likes to be alone for Christmas,” Ginny objected.

“Well, I do.”

“Harry!” Ginny laughed. “Come on, I really want us to have another Weasley
Christmas...”

“What do you mean, us?”

“Don’t tell me that kiss meant nothing to you,” Ginny said. “I know what it meant to
me.”

“Ginny, please don’t.”

“Don’t what?” she smiled, shrugging.

“There’s a reason our relationship failed,” Harry said, staring out at the snow flakes
melting down the window.

“Yes, but I’m willing to give us another chance. Come on, Harry. You can’t say you
feel nothing for me.”

“Just go, Ginny. Let’s talk about this later.”

103
“Alright,” Ginny said, unexpectedly. “I’ll let you think it over. But I want an answer
after Christmas.” She walked away and opened the door to leave. “If you feel lonely
though, owl me straight away.”

“I never feel lonely.”

She gave him a warning look and strode out the door, nearly bowling over Scorpius.

“Malfoy! What are you doing out here?”

“I’ve come to see the Professor about my assignment,” Scorpius said, giving her a
belligerent look. “Why, what are you doing here?”

Ginny smiled lightly. “Just wishing Harry a merry Christmas. What are your
Christmas plans, Scorpius?”

“Going home.”

“Sounds fun,” Ginny said, reaching out to pat his shoulder; Scorpius dodged quickly
away and glared. “Have a happy and safe holiday.”

“I hope not, that sounds dead boring,” Scorpius shot back. Ginny just stared at him
for a moment as though he had said something unintelligible, then left. Scorpius
shrugged and walked into Harry’s office. “I hope you’re not getting it on with
Professor Weasley, she’s weird,” he said.

“My personal life is of absolutely no relevance nor interest,” Harry said. “Now what
do you want?”

“Relevance, sir, what’s that?”

104
“It means you don’t need to know anything about it. And don’t call Professor Weasley
weird.”

“She is, she looks like she’s high on Cheering Charms all the time,” Scorpius
protested.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Harry snapped.

“Bit touchy about your girlfriend, eh?”

“Malfoy! What do you want?”

“My assignment,” Scorpius said, noting Harry’s expression and apparently deciding
not to push him over the brink. “I got a T.”

“That’s because you didn’t display sufficient knowledge on the topic, you failed to use
any references, you plagiarised everything, you handed it in a week late and you
seemed to borrow suspiciously heavily from Dobson’s notes.”

“Yeah, but sir, all the assignments are due right now, it’s real hard, you only gave us a
weekend to do it — ”

“Other students manage, and they have exactly the same workload,” Harry said. “In
fact, some have more.”

“What’s your problem, get into a fight with your girlfriend?” Scorpius said, grinning.

“No, I didn’t. Look, Scorpius, if you don’t do the work, you won’t get the marks.
Merry Christmas.” Harry indicated Scorpius was dismissed, then went back to

105
marking his assignments. Scorpius didn’t budge an inch. He remained standing in the
middle of the office, the assignment limply held in one hand. Harry sighed loudly and
read through a fifth-year assignment.

There are several subtle differences between a wolf and the werewolf, the first being the size and shape
of the snout...

It had been full moon over the weekend. He suddenly felt rather guilty.

“I’m sorry, Scorpius, it’s been rather busy lately and I’ve been a bit tired and short-
tempered. Look, how about you re-submit the assignment and I’ll see if it deserves
another mark?”

“Yeah, alright,” Scorpius said, as though he was the one doing Harry the favour. He
walked slowly out, then turned round. “Sir, it’s coz there’s a full moon, isn’t there?”

“What?”

“It’s coz of the full moon.”

“Yes,” Harry said blandly. “It must be difficult, doing assignments whilst suffering
sleep deprivation.”

“What’s deprivation?”

Harry thought. “It’s when you are denied something that most other people have.”

“Oh. Well I’ll see ya, sir. Merry Christmas and all that shit.”

Harry could only shake his head and laugh. A typical season’s greeting from Scorpius.

106
After Scorpius left, however, Harry’s smile faltered as he went over the conversation.

____________________

On New Years Eve, Harry went to Hermione’s place for some drinks, although he
volunteered to bring his own. Hermione was known for her lethal cocktails.

“How about just one, Harry?”

“No.”

“Come on, you’ll love my version of Sex In A Cauldron.”

“I don’t think so,” Harry laughed. He’d had a couple of firewhiskeys and was feeling
more relaxed then he had in months, sitting on Hermione’s front porch. In the
distance, fireworks exploded and he could hear people singing:

And for auld lang syne, my joy,

For auld lang syne,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

“Oh, I missed the countdown!” Hermione said in disappointment, but light spilled
from her porch as people wandered out to the front garden, their champagne flutes
coming together in crystal clinks, spilling the bubbly drink through the air, raising
their voices in song, until Hermione and Harry joined in, laughing:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind...
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne!
107
“Happy new year!” they hollered to each other, some collapsing, completely legless,
on the front garden. Harry turned to smile at Hermione, but found Ginny next to
him instead.

“I was promised an answer.”

“Yes,” Harry mumbled, the firewhiskey already hazing over his mind. But even as
Ginny leant forwards to kiss him, her hair falling across her face, she was not on his
mind.

...should old acquaintance be forgot...

____________________

“Alright, let’s see how much you’ve managed to forget over the Christmas break,”
Harry said crisply, to the sullen and wretched faces in front of him.

“Oh, sir, you’re not going straight into work, are you?”

“Yeah, how about a really easy revision lesson, you know? Bring us back gently.”

“Yeah, my break sucked, there was a fight about Grandmother’s Christmas pudding
and my mum threw it through the window and it knocked out old Uncle Norm who
was outside sneaking a smoke and — ”

“What, a Christmas pudding?” someone cut in disbelievingly.

“You have clearly never had one of my Grandmother’s Christmas puddings,” the
Gryffindor replied darkly.

108
“Well, my break was really lovely,” a Ravenclaw said smugly. “My family and I went
to France.”

“I bet you partied, didn’t you sir?” Leo called out mischievously. “Had a big New
Years bash, eh?”

Harry eyed him. “Hardly. Anyway, to get back to the lesson at hand — ”

“I bet you got some, eh sir?” Leo grinned.

“Mancini, that’s highly inappropriate,” Harry said exasperatedly.

“But it’s true. Teddy saw you, sir!”

“What are you talking about?” Harry snapped, his stomach plummeting at Scorpius’s
little grin and Teddy’s oh-Merlin-I’m-in-for-it-now expression.

“Yeah, me and Scorpius and Teddy were at Hannah Harris’s bash and got bored and
Teddy said he knew there where there was a better one, and we went there and saw
—”

“My personal life should not be discussed in the classroom,” Harry cut in coldly.
Teddy slunk down further in his seat and glared at Leo.

“Does that mean we can discuss it anywhere else?” grinned Leo.

“Yes, but not in here,” Harry snapped. “Is that clear?”

Leo knew he’d stepped over the line; he mumbled something and nodded.

109
“Excellent,” Harry said. “I won’t say anything more on the subject except that I have
here,” he held up a list of names, “all your names, backgrounds, academic and
medical histories. And I have never chosen to publicly divulge such facts. Yet.”

The class all swapped nervous expressions.

“Sorry, sir,” Leo said meekly.

“That’s alright,” Harry said coolly. “Now, on with the lesson.”

____________________

After the lesson, Teddy approached his desk, looking quite upset.

“Sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Nor did I,” Harry said dryly.

There was a pause, where Teddy reluctantly drew invisible circles on Harry’s desk,
tracing the patterns over and over with his fingers. “Only,” Teddy said slowly, “you’re
not getting back together with Ginny, are you?”

“Teddy, that’s not...I don’t...it’s not really...Merlin, I don’t know.”

“Only you didn’t seem very happy when you’re with her,” Teddy said. “And I always
thought if you loved someone, you should be happy most of the time.”

“I know. It’s complicated.”

“Oh, right. ‘Grown-up stuff ’,” Teddy sighed. “I am twelve. And a bit.”

110
“I know,” Harry said, smiling. “How fast they grow up...” He reached out to ruffle
Teddy’s hair, but he ducked away, laughing.

“Don’t start that stuff !” Teddy checked his watch, grinning, then hurriedly crammed
his books into his bag. “See you later. And cheers again for the Christmas presents!”
he called over his shoulder, dashing away.

Harry was suddenly very thankful he had a Ted and not a Scorpius.

____________________

“Harry, wake up.”

“Mmm?”

“Wake up, Harry!”

Harry rolled over and opened one eye, staring at a rather rumpled Ginny.

“Merlin. What time is it?”

“It’s a quarter to nine, Harry.”

“A quarter to nine!” Harry leapt out of bed and instantly fell over a mess of robes on
the floor. “Well, thanks for waking me up, Ginny! I do have a class in fifteen minutes!”

“Stop yelling, just calm down. You looked so tired yesterday, I thought I’d let you have
a bit of a lie-in.”

111
“Thanks,” Harry said unhappily, picking up one of his rather creased robes and
trying to remember any housekeeping spells. Any.

“Kerala,” Ginny said, and his robes obediently straightened out.

“Oh. Thanks, Ginny.”

“You’re welcome. Never your strong point, those spells. And don’t tell me its woman’s
work.”

“I’m not a bloody caveman,” Harry sighed, pulling on the robes and hastily buttoning
them up. “I’ve got to run, I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Er...maybe...” Harry kissed her quickly and distractedly, racing out the doors and
hurrying towards his office.

It was only as he was gathering some texts and assignments that he realised how easily
he’d fallen back into their relationship. It had only been a couple of months since
New Years, but already they were back to their old ways.

He sighed and, despite the time, walked sedately towards his classroom.

____________________

“...Now, remember we should already be thinking about exams, you’ve only got a
couple of months left now. Malfoy, stay behind. I’d like a word with you. Keep
walking, Mancini.”

112
Leo gave him a filthy look and left whilst Scorpius approached Harry’s desk with a
suspicious look.

“I thought that water spell would be a bit of a laugh sir, honestly, Clearwater hasn’t
got a sense of humour, and it wasn’t me that set Humbry’s broom on fire during
practice, sir, honestly, I take quidditch dead seriously, and — ”

“Calm down, Scorpius,” Harry said, although he himself was rather alarmed to hear
of these recent tricks. He had no idea. “I just wanted to ask about your work.”

“My work, sir?”

“Yes. You’ve failed the last three assignments, and you’ve failed the last two tests as
well. You’ve been skipping Friday’s English lessons, and you’ve been even more
disruptive in class. What’s going on?”

“Oh, you know, sir, full moon, sir — ”

“Don’t give me that, Scorpius. You’re not getting a pity vote here. I’ve met a few
werewolves myself and one of them was the most hardworking and studious man I
had ever met.”

“Yeah, but — ”

“No, Scorpius. Look, I know you want to pass, and right now I can tell you that
you’re only just scraping through. Are you still on your potions?”

“Nah, they took me off ’em. They mess up my Wolfsbane shit, sir, they cancel it out
or some shit like that.”

113
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Nah, sir, it’s alright. Sorry I’m failing.” Scorpius strived to look contrite but Harry
wasn’t buying it.

“Don’t apologise to me, Scorpius. Apologise to your father, perhaps.”

“He got me my Firebolt, sir,” Scorpius said. “He said my letters gotten real good.”

“I know. Your last match was spectacular.”

“Thanks sir. Got the final coming up, sir, this weekend. You gonna watch?”

“Maybe.”

“You can bring Weasley as your date if you like,” Scorpius said generously.

“Professor Weasley.”

“Yeah, her.”

“Thin ice, Scorpius.”

“Sorry, sir. But you know she discriminates, sir.” Scorpius looked excited; he’d recently
learned the word ‘discriminate’ and, to Harry’s annoyance, was managing to drop it
into every conversation.

“Scorpius — ”

“It’s true, sir, she keeps going on about my dad.”

114
“How do you mean?” Harry asked warily.

“Oh, always ‘don’t pick on Scorpius coz of his dad, he can’t help it’ and shit like that,
she’s full of it sir, I can’t help being a Muggleborn.”

“A what?”

“I can’t help it if my dad’s a Muggle, I think maybe she’s still stuck up on that Battle
shit, sir. Maybe she was Voldemort supporter or whatever and feels bad about it,
trying to make up for it, but she’s really getting on my nerves, sir — ”

“Your father is a Muggle?”

“Yeah, sir.”

“Dra – Lucas Malfoy?” Harry asked.

“Yeah.”

“There was a Death-Eater Malfoy in the Battle, did you know that?”

“I dunno, I didn’t really listen that closely in History.” Scorpius said dismissively.
“Anyway, so I wouldn’t go out with Weasley, sir, that’s all I’m saying. I just don’t like
the way she talks to me.”

“Alright, Scorpius,” Harry said. “You may go.”

115
Scorpius picked up his bag and slouched out the door to where Leo had been
hovering anxiously. Harry watched as the two boys grinned and lightly punched each
other, leaving him to mull over the recent discoveries.

Draco Malfoy, pureblood Death-Eater. Lucas Malfoy, reformed Muggle father.

There was definitely something wrong with that family.

____________________

That bloody quidditch final. Harry knew something would happen.

Scorpius had been flying steadily around. It was the usual moody spring weather: wet,
windy, and miserable. Harry wasn’t really watching Scorpius. He was idly observing
the Gryffindor seeker, a sixth-year lad with the ability to make amazingly sharp turns.
He really was quite good and Harry considered recommending him to Madam
Hooch for team captaincy next year. Harry had already seen the snitch several times,
although neither seeker had spotted it yet themselves. Just as the Gryffindor seeker
suddenly dived towards the pitch, a cry was heard and somebody nearby gasped.
Harry’s head whipped upwards, following the pointing fingers and horrorstruck
expressions, and he saw two tumbling forms: A Slytherin and, of course, Scorpius.
The two were half-hanging off their brooms, attacking each other. The crowd leapt to
their feet, shouting.

“Stop! Stop it!” a little first-year sobbed, clinging to the bleachers as though he was
the one falling. Harry half-expected the Slytherins to start shouting encouragement,
but, like the Gryffindors, they were screaming disapprovingly.

“Malfoy! You idiot!”

116
“Stop it, Webb!”

“You’ll get disqualified, stop it!”

“Someone stop them!”

The Gryffindor seeker had captured the snitch in the confusion, and Harry felt a
pang of pity for her. The triumphant moment was ruined as the team struggled to fly
up to the two fighting boys and pull them apart.

“Ooh, they’re headed for the Whomping Willow!”someone cried out and to Harry’s
horror he saw she was correct. Indeed they were, drawing so close to it that Webb’s
broom was smashed from below him. He half-clung to Scorpius, the extra weight
pulling Scorpius helplessly towards the Whomping Willow. Then, within a half-
second, Webb fell before anyone could move, and hit the ground with a sickening
smack.

____________________

Nobody could tell whether Scorpius had shaken Webb off, or whether Webb had
simply slipped off of his own accord. Harry tried telling people it didn’t matter, all
that mattered was Webb had survived the six-foot-fall and, once his leg bones were
regrown, he would be perfectly fine. However rumour still sped around the school
and Scorpius was suitably punished: he would not be eligible for quidditch next year.
Scorpius had a rather large tantrum about this, apparently cursing everything in
McGonagall’s office, and now further punishment was evidently due.

“...Alright, so I think most of you are getting the hang of Stunning. Please do not
practice out of class or you’ll have both myself and Professor McGonagall to answer
to.” Harry paused, then turned and became aware of Scorpius standing in the

117
doorway. “Malfoy?” McGonagall had called him out of class earlier, but Harry was
quite surprised at how long he’d been gone. “Not much point sitting down again, I
was just about to dismiss the class. Alright, so I’ll see you all next Tuesday,” Harry
continued. “Please remember you’ll need your textbooks.” He dismissed them, talking
to the odd student here and there as they filed past. Scorpius took quite some time
collecting his things.

“Is everything alright, Malfoy?” Harry asked at last.

“Yeah, sir. I’ve been suspended.”

“Suspended?”

“Yeah. McGonagall says some time out might be good for me. I’ll be back in a week,
sir. I’ll practice that Stunning spell while I’m gone.”

“Not on any unsuspecting victims, I hope,” Harry said dryly, but Scorpius just
grinned at him.

“No worries, sir. McGonagall asked you to walk me to the train station, sir, Dad’s
picking me up there.”

Harry sighed. It was a half hour’s walk to Hogsmeade and that meant it would take
up his entire lunch hour. Nevertheless, he fetched his cloak and walked Scorpius
though the school gates.

“Hey, sir, Christmas is a holiday, right?”

“Yes.”

118
“And Halloween.”

“Yes.”

“And Easter. Like Good Friday and that.”

“Yes,” Harry said again, wondering where all this was leading.

“Okay, cool. Only McGonagall kept telling me this wasn’t a holiday, and I know that.
I never heard of no Suspension Day.”

Harry laughed, despite the circumstances. Scorpius, suspended. He wondered if it

would actually work. Perhaps Scorpius really would just view it as a holiday, a free
pass.

“Hey sir, if the boys ask, you tell them it’s a family emergency or some shit.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t let Webb take over the courtyard while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try.”

“And don’t listen to that shit, yeah sir? Coz I never pushed anybody off my broom. I
wouldn’t pull shit like that. I got my honour. I don’t care what them teachers think.”

“I don’t think you pushed him off.”

119
“Yeah sir but you’re nice. Other people, they always blame shit on me. Scorpius
must’ve done this, Scorpius must’ve done that.” Scorpius squinted against the sun.
“There yet, sir?”

“Just a little way to go.”

“Cool.”

They walked along a little further before Scorpius spoke up again.

“You reckon you’ll marry that Weasley?”

“I don’t know. Who knows. Everything changes,” Harry said, letting his guard down a
little.

“What’s that mean, sir?”

“The future changes a lot. Especially when you’re young. Who knows what tomorrow
will hold?”

“Probably lots of yelling.”

Harry laughed. Scorpius however seemed serious.

“The future doesn’t change, sir. Nothing ever changes. My dad, he told me
Hogwarts’ll be different from Durmstrang. Teachers are different, he says. Classes are
different, students are different. But it’s all the same, isn’t it, sir?”

They had arrived at the train station. Harry could see Draco standing alone by the
platform. Draco at one end, Scorpius at the other.

120
Draco began walking towards them and Harry turned to leave, but Scorpius grabbed
his sleeve.

“I just thought of another thing, sir. I get suspended, right? But when I come back,
it’ll all be the same. See? What’s the point?”

“Maybe it’s you who should change,” Harry suggested.

“Well, I don’t think I should change. I think they’re the ones who should be different,
but they’re not gonna be coz no one ever changes,” Scorpius retorted, quietening as
Draco drew level with them.

“Scorpius.”

“Hey, Dad. Listen, it wasn’t my fault, Webb started it, honestly, and also Clearwater
can’t take a joke, that thing with the Rictusempra spell, just a bit of a lark, and I
didn’t mean to break Wilkinson’s wand last week, it was an accident, and — ”

“Just get in the car,” Draco said flatly.

“I’ll see you in a week, Scorpius,” Harry said, quickly retreating.

“Right, sir, I promise to practice the Stunning spell,” Scorpius said, scurrying after
Draco, who was already striding away.

“No you won’t!” shouted Harry, overcome with a foreboding feeling at the thought of
Scorpius practising Stunning spells.

121
But both Scorpius and Draco were already gone, a light blue Audi pulling away from
the curb. Harry was surprised — he had been expecting some flashy and overdone
car, like a silver Mercedes or a red Porsche.

Scorpius was wrong, Harry thought. People do change.

____________________

“Hey, sir, where’s Scorpius?”

Harry feigned deafness as he deflected a Stunning spell and congratulated Dobson on

his progress.

“Sir? Sir, he hasn’t been here all week — ”

“Excellent job, Clark, but it’s more likely that in a hostile situation, your opposing
partner won’t be reading their textbook.”

“Sir? Did his dad take him out of school?”

“Pay attention to what you’re doing, Mancini. And what you’re doing is practising
offensive spells, right? Not questioning me about classmates. Ah, excellent work
Aaronson!”

“Ah, come on sir, he isn’t replying to my letters — ”

“Mancini,” Harry said warningly, and Leo sighed and shot off a spell without even
looking. It hit Dobson directly in the chest, disarming him instantly and sending him
reeling backwards several feet.

122
“Yeah!” hollered Leo, punching the air.

Harry sighed loudly and wearily.

____________________

Exams were coming up, and Harry was frantic. He understood now why the teachers
were always so uptight about exams. It was a reflection on his teaching; he was being
tested too, really. His seventh-years were cool and he loved them for it. Their final
class before exams and they were the ones soothing him, not the other way around.

“Don’t worry, professor, I feel really confident,” a Gryffindor said reassuringly.

“Really? I’m quite nervous about this Patronus, it’s the first time it’s ever been used in
an exam, maybe Professor Potter pushed us a little too hard, no offence sir — ”

“Shut up, Gwen,” a Slytherin snapped, then turned back to Harry. “It’s really
awesome, sir, I think the Patronus will come in very handy. And I think you’ve done a
great job teaching it to us all.”

“Teacher’s pet,” someone murmured, but Harry was grateful.

“I have to say you’ve been an absolutely wonderful class,” he said. “I’ve no doubt that
whatever you choose to do, you’ll succeed admirably.”

Gwen burst into tears.

____________________

“My last week here.”

123
“And the last week for the students.”

“Yes, but I won’t be coming back after the summer. Professor Westbrook will be.”
Ginny took Harry’s hand with a small smile. “What about you, Harry? Will you be
coming back next school term?”

“Yes.”

“What about us?” Ginny smiled, brushing her hair from her eyes. Harry absently
watched the rich red strands gleam in the sunlight streaming through his office
windows. Ginny really was quite pretty, he thought. She still had that innocent
youthfulness about her.

“Sometimes it’s as if nothing ever happened,” he murmured. “Like you never went to
war.”

“Oh, Harry. Don’t change the subject,” Ginny laughed. “Anyway, these summer
holidays, we’ll have those together at least. I was thinking we could spend it up here.”

“What, Scotland?”

“Yes. We’ll have Hogsmeade to ourselves, without any pesky students,” Ginny smiled,
bringing his hand to her lips. “What do you think?”

“I think...Ginny, why would I want to spend even more time up here?”

“Alright, alright, forget I suggested it,” she laughed, shaking her head. “I can see
you’re in one of your moods. How about a nice walk around the lake? It’s been ages
since we’ve been out near the Forbidden Forest...”

124
“Near the Forest?” Harry stared at her in disbelief. The Forest? He tried to stay away
from that place as much as possible. It held nothing but horror-tinged memories.

“Yes. It’s so pretty this time of year, and the lake’s warm enough to cool our feet at
least,” Ginny laughed, standing up and reaching across the desk, trying to tug Harry
upwards. However, he remained obstinately seated.

“What are you talking about? So pretty?” He remembered the grass bent and
withered with curses, the grounds littered with corpses, the lake red with blood...

“Harry, what’s gotten into you?” Ginny asked, her smile fading. “Is everything
alright?”

“So pretty...” he muttered.

“Yes, you can’t deny it,” Ginny said, looking bewildered. “You should see the
wildflowers, Harry, they’re beautiful. Come on, let’s not waste the day — ”

“I...I don’t...feel well, Ginny. I’ve got to go.”

“Harry! Come on, it’s your last free period for the day. Let’s — ”

“I’ve got to catch up on some assignments.”

“What are you talking about, you haven’t set any,” Ginny smiled, trying to take his
hand again. “Come on — ”

She was cut off abruptly as Harry’s office door was suddenly flung open.

125
“Hey, sir, I’m back, and McGonagall said to show you my homework.” Scorpius held
out a roll of parchment expectedly.

“Scorpius,” Harry said exasperatedly, “I’m a little busy right now.”

“Oh, Harry, it’s okay,” Ginny said warmly. “We’ve got time to spare, especially for
students like Malfoy here.” She leaned across to Harry and lowered her voice.
“Merlin knows his father probably doesn’t offer any help, the poor boy just needs
some attention — ”

“My father gives me lots of attention,” Scorpius said loudly. “Just last week, he spent a
whole hour yelling at me.”

“Yelling at you?” Ginny frowned.

“Nah it’s alright miss, I did royally piss him off. Shouldn’t have got suspended.”

“You were suspended?” Ginny’s frown deepened; she turned and whispered to Harry.
“He clearly needs help, and isn’t getting any from his useless Death-Eater father...”
She turned back to Scorpius, who glowered. “Scorpius, does your father treat you
well?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s alright, you can tell me.”

“I said yeah, he treats me well.” Scorpius eyed her as though she was crazy.

“Even when he’s really, really mad? Does he ever hurt you?”

126
“He doesn’t fucking hurt me! What are you, fucking deaf ?”

“Scorpius, don’t talk to Professor Weasley like that,” Harry tried to intervene.

“Well, she’s talking shit, sir. I don’t like people talking shit about my dad.”

“No one’s saying anything about your father. Now apologise to Professor Weasley,”
Harry ordered.

“No. She should be saying sorry to me.”

“It’s alright, Harry,” Ginny said. “I can see Scorpius is obviously going through a lot
of issues and that’s okay. Enjoy your summer, Scorpius.” She went to leave and Harry
stared so hard at Scorpius that the boy finally squirmed and mumbled something.

“Yeah, thanks miss.”

Ginny managed a small smile before she left, closing the door behind her.

“Alright, give me a look at your homework,” Harry said wearily.

Scorpius handed it over, chatting away. “See, sir, she’s completely mad. Dunno what
you see in her. She’s definitely high on something — ”

“Scorpius, this is just your first assignment with a few words changed,” Harry cut in
exasperatedly, scanning the parchment. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to have to give
you a T.”

“Ah, sir, McGonagall will kick my arse, sir — ”

127
“So? What do you want me to do about it? If you didn’t want to get in trouble, you
should have done the work.”

“Yeah, sir.” Scorpius kicked unhappily at his chair and Harry sighed.

“Just — make sure you pass your exams, alright?”

Scorpius just grinned and Harry got a sinking feeling.

____________________

Graduation day.

It was a happy one, a lovely one. Something Harry never experienced. He’d never
had a graduation day, having missed his final year. Although at the end of the year he
was presented with an honorary certificate of education, which was nice, and received
Dux of Defence Against Dark Arts, despite failing to actually attend any seventh-year
classes. Apparently defeating the Dark Lord was a good substitute.

“...Tepple, Bronwyn. Thorpe, Alicia.”

The students proudly filed up, receiving their certificates and beaming round. There
would be organised photographs afterwards and Harry was determined to get one of
his seventh-years. How he would miss them! The wonderful, wonderful seventh-years.
They worked hard, they wanted to learn, they wanted high marks, they were quiet,
they were respectful, they actually spent time on their homework and handed it in on
time. Never an excuse, never a sob story from his serious seventh-years. A dream class.

“Don’t they all look so distinguished?”

128
Harry turned as Ginny squeezed in next to him.

“Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know. I just had to stop in Hogsmeade today, Gladrags had a nice set of
designer robes, half-price. Really nice, pale blue. Do you think pale blue suits me?”

“Everything suits you,” Harry muttered, not taking his eyes from the rows of
Hogwarts graduates.

“Oh, don’t be silly. Red looks terrible on me. Remember the scarlet dress?”

“No.”

“Total disaster. I remember Auntie Muriel was very nasty to me about it, but then
again she hates red. Scarlet woman, harlot, and so on. Oh, what happens after this?
Do we form some kind of guard of honour or something? Ouch, there’s a nail or
something sticking out of this chair, I swear — ”

“They have some photographs afterwards. Then we all have the Final Feast and they
wander off tomorrow,” Harry said shortly.

“Yes. Oh, they’re only up to ‘T’ and I’ve been gone ages! It’s so stuffy in here, they
should have had it outside in the rose gardens or something. Come on, let’s go have a
wander round.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Come on, it’s such a beautiful day. And I’ll make sure we’re back in time for the
Feast.”

129
“Ginny...”

“Isn’t it beautiful? Come on, you could do with a bit of fresh air. And nobody will
think you’re rude, honestly, Slughorn’s been in and out like a yo-yo, and Penny just
discreetly left to have a quick smoke.”

“Penny?”

“You know. Penelope Clearwater. She’s absolutely fantastic, you should hear her
Runes knowledge, it’s great. Come on, just say I felt faint because of the heat, and you
escorted me out like the gentleman you are.”

Harry sighed. Along the staff table, other professors were turning to glare at them,
and McGonagall coughed loudly. The heat was rather distracting, and his skin
prickled uncomfortably in the warmth, his hair curling damply. He sighed again, then
offered an arm to Ginny, who theatrically and vigorously fanned herself as he
discreetly left the Hall.

“Oh, so much better! Oh, the moon’s already rising. Look, Harry, by the lake. Isn’t it
lovely?”

It was. The moon glowed palely in the lingering dusk, the lake rippling gently and
reflecting the setting sun above them. In the hazy, purplish dusk the smell of heather
filled the air and Harry breathed deeply.

“Shall we?” Ginny took his arm and they walked down the gently sloping banks,
Ginny choosing a reasonably insect-free spot and sprawling across the luxuriously
green grass, laughing as an evening breeze sprung up, dancing with her robes. “Come
on Harry, don’t worry. You won’t get your robes dirty.”

130
Harry however remained upright, sitting against a gentle willow. He watched its
graceful branches trail in the lake water, watching the sun set on its surface. The water
dazzled for a moment — brilliant orange shot with gold –— and then the sky and
water settled into a soft pink. A cheer rose in the distance: the graduates all had their
certificates, and were squabbling about photographs.

“I feel like I’m seventeen again,” Ginny sighed, her eyes closed, turning her face to
the dying sun. “Like we’re teenagers again, hopelessly in love.”

“I don’t feel as though I’m seventeen,” Harry said quietly. “I feel as if I’m twenty-
nine.”

“Well, I feel young,” Ginny laughed, holding her arms out to the sky as if she wanted
to embrace the whole world. “I feel as though I should be the one graduating today!
Nothing’s changed, has it Harry? The world awaits.”

Harry stood up slowly, frowning.

“I should be in there with them,” he said quietly. “I should be in there with my

students, celebrating their success. I just missed their graduation, and I’ll never see it
again.” He missed it! He wondered if Gwendolyn walked forwards with tears
brimming, if the Slytherins ribbed her about it. If Vivienne Topham-Viney shook
with nerves or strode forwards, full of the confidence she should have earned through
the year. If George Llewellyn sent his Patronus — a squirrel — darting through the
graduation group, as he always said he would.

“I missed it,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

131
If Ginny heard him though, she made no indication. She lay in the grass, a half-smile
on her face, locked in some other world.

He turned his face away, looking towards the lonely moon.

____________________

Harry was catching the Hogwarts Express back to London. He’d packed up his office,
cleaned out his quarters, and was ready to leave. When Gwendolyn saw him at the
train station, she squealed.

“Oh, professor! Are you catching the train with us? You can share our carriage if you
want.”

“Er,” he said, but was spared a reply.

“Hey, sir!” George Llewellyn waved cheerfully. “Where were you at graduation, sir?
You missed my Patronus!”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Harry said, and he was. He should not have been with
Ginny by the lake. He should have been standing and applauding his students.

“Bit of a fuss sir, but I think McGonagall was actually quite impressed.”

“And so she should have been,” Harry replied, managing a smile before he turned
away to push through the crowd and fight his way onto the train. He managed to find
an empty, small carriage at the very end of the train and paused. Had this been the
carriage he had sat in so many years ago, when he had pondered over the shabbily-
dressed man and his equally shabby luggage, printed with the words ‘Remus J Lupin’?
Did his thirteen-year-old self ever guess that one day, that man would be dead and he,

132
Harry, would be the godfather of his newborn child? Remus Lupin taught Harry
Potter and Harry Potter taught Teddy Lupin. A strange and tragic circle.

The door slid open, and hurriedly slammed shut again. Harry opened one eye and
listened to the conversation on the other side of the door.

“Not this one, there’s a teacher in there.”

“Let’s look for another then.”

“There aren’t any others,” a third and rather annoyed voice interjected. “Because you
two had to be bloody tossers and play keeps-away, didn’t you? And then Dobson went
crying off to Clearwater, we got in trouble, arrived late and got the last carriage.”

That was definitely Teddy speaking. He could not conceal how well-spoken he was,
no matter how he tried. Harry groaned and considered trying to slink off to another
carriage. He was certain his godson would want a carriage all to himself and his
friends. Before he could move, however, the door was flung open again.

“Ah, it’s just Professor P, you wanker,” Scorpius admonished Leo. “He’s alright. Aren’t
you sir?”

“Mm,” Harry said noncommittally, staring out the window.

“May I ask what you’re doing here?” Teddy asked, grinning. He knew full well what
Harry was doing on the Express: taking Teddy home.

“Shut up, chav,” Leo directed at Ted. This was a running joke between them, Harry
noticed – as it was between all boys, really. Without a doubt, any thick person would

133
be nicknamed Genius, a short person would be told to watch out for the chandeliers,
and a toff would be called a chav.

Harry ignored Leo. He really didn’t want to try telling them off as, after all, he had
no real power over them now. He was certain they’d work that out quickly.

“I’m going to London, Teddy,” he said, still looking out the window.

“Leo’s our London lad, sir,” Scorpius told Harry, grinning. “He’s living the real city
life, aren’t you Leo?”

“That place is fucking full of chavs, scuse my language sir,” Leo said to Harry
conversationally. “And hobos. But you know what really gets on my nerves, sir? Them
damn charity workers!”

“A charity what?” Teddy asked, puzzled.

“You’ve clearly led a sheltered life. Don’t worry. Hey, sir, you know what a charity
worker is, right?”

“Yes,” Harry said, still staring at the passing scenery.

“Yeah, well London’s fucking full of ’em. If you get a hundred yards down Oxford
Street without being stopped by one, you get an award,” Leo said, grinning. “My dad
hates them, see. He’s an executive, right in the middle of London, and he says every
lunch break they’re out there hounding him. He gets real sick of it,” Leon went on.

“You’re living in London and your father’s an executive? You’re the toff then, not
me,” Teddy sniffed.

134
“I’m not a fucking toff !” Leo said heatedly and things might have gotten out of hand
had Scorpius not intervened.

“Doesn’t matter, lots of people in London,” he said easily, shrugging.

“Yeah, you don’t know much about London,” Leo laughed. “Sir, we’ve got Teddy the
Toff and Leo the London Lad, you know what Scorpius is?”

“No,” Harry said, finally looking at him.

“He’s our fucking country kid, no joke! He lives — hey, Scorpius, where do you live
again?”

“Tulip Hill,” Scorpius replied without malevolence, leaning back lazily and inspecting
a half-melted Chocolate Frog he’d just discovered under the seat.

“Yeah, and where the fuck’s that?”

“Kent,” Harry muttered, feeling rather dazed. The boys looked at him, surprised.
Teddy looked thrilled.

“Hey,” Teddy began, “that’s where — ”

“I hope you’re not going to eat that.” Harry quickly changed the subject, watching as
Scorpius looked at the Frog with a hopeful expression. He put it down and looked at
Harry.

“Hey, sir, where do you live?”

135
“Nowhere,” Harry said with forced lightness; Leo howled with laughter, banging his
fist upon the seat, his eyes tearing up with mirth.

“Hobo on a train, reminds me of home!”

Teddy and Scorpius burst out laughing as Harry just shook his head and smiled.

“All we need is a wino and a couple of pikeys,” Leo said, managing to calm down.
“Then we’d have fucking Little London, sir!”

“I sold my home before going to Hogwarts to teach,” Harry explained over their
chuckles. Scorpius took a bite of the frog, grimaced, and threw it at Leo. “I’m
relocating to another place.”

“To Tulip Hill!” Teddy burst out excitedly.

The boys looked between them.

“Oh, that’s right,” Leo said. “I forgot he’s your godfather.”

Harry was flabbergasted.

“You...you knew?”

“Yeah, you’d make a pretty cool godfather, I reckon,” Leo said knowledgeably.
Scorpius, however, was apparently thinking along the same lines as Teddy.

“No way! You’re fucking joking! Oh, that’s fucking wicked, Teddy, we can hang out
every day...”

136
Harry suppressed a scream.

____________________

He waited patiently on the Kings Cross platform, watching the joyful reunions of
parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends and family. Scorpius had rushed off
towards his father, who was waiting with folded arms.

“Don’t tell me its summer holidays already,” Draco sighed. “I’ve got to put up with
you for two bloody months.”

“You could always send me to France. Leo’s going to France,” Scorpius said jealously.
Leo, nearby, stuck his tongue out at him happily.

“I thought you hated France,” Draco frowned.

“Yeah, I do. Full of croissants and shit.”

“An excellent summary,” Draco said dryly.

“Yeah, well, maybe if you take me there I can tell for myself, yeah?” Scorpius hinted.

“You’d better start saving up, then,” Draco laughed, and Scorpius pulled a face.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah, hang on, I’ve just gotta say bye to Leo and Teddy. Leo. Leo! LEO! You fucking
tosser, come here and say goodbye properly, you shitbag — ”

137
“Fuck you, fucking country boy,” Leo retorted, stepping up to Scorpius and punching
him lightly on the shoulder.

“Enjoy your hobos on the tube, London lad,” Scorpius grinned, before pelting away
as Leo gave chase, hurling Chocolate Frogs at his back.

“That’s his friend?” Draco asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Harry replied absent-mindedly, looking around. “Teddy, mind the — oh. Oh
well.”

In the distance, Teddy slid hopelessly around on a squished Chocolate Frog, howling
with laughter as Leo and Scorpius desperately tried to grab at him.

“I hope there won’t be too many summer visits,” Draco said, frowning.

“Oh, Teddy’s not so bad. You’ve got to watch Leo, though. He’s Scorpius’s partner in
crime. But Teddy has the extensive knowledge of Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

“You’re welcome,” Harry said courteously.

They remained standing for a while, in comfortable silence. Draco was patient, Harry
noticed. Never yelling out to Scorpius or dragging him off to the car.

“It’s full moon tonight,” Harry noted, his thoughts on the night ahead.

Draco looked at him, smiling a little sadly.

138
“I know,” he said. “I never forget.”

He held out his wrist, and Harry saw a watch on it — though instead of numbers,
there were minuscule moons, all in different stages of waxing and waning. Currently,
the hand was a quiver away from where the number twelve should be: a full moon.

“I don’t need it anymore,” Draco said, dropping his wrist. “I just know.”

There was a pause, then —

“Harry!”

Ginny sped over, dressed Muggle-style — a cotton summer dress, her hair spilling
over her shoulders, her face shining. She always looked so fresh, Harry thought. Even
today, with a blue sky and an uncomfortably warm breeze.

“Oh, Harry, I’m sorry I’m so late! The traffic was absolutely awful, I had to resort to
some...tricks.” Ginny winked, leaning forwards and kissing him, fumbling with her
purse at the same time. “Oh, here they are – the keys! D’you want to drive?”
Harry just shrugged wordlessly, staring at the keys in his hand. Ginny grinned,
looping her arm through his and guiding him away from the platform.
“I thought I’d bring in my brand new car. George bought it for me as an early
birthday present. He’s really spoiling me! Guess what it is?” Ginny said excitedly. “It’s
a...” she pushed him outside the station, “brand new Jaguar! Dad’s insanely jealous.”

“Oh.”

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Ginny laughed. “Isn’t it the most interesting Muggle thing you’ve
ever seen? Now you know why I simply had to drive it here today, instead of your
little white car!”

139
“Fiesta,” Harry murmured.

“What?”

“A Ford Fiesta.”

“Oh. I don’t really know about brands and all that. George told me what this one
was, oh, it just sounds so exotic! And you know, red is one of my favourite colours. For
a car, anyway. Anyway, what are you waiting for? Get in! You’ll absolutely love it.
Come on!” Ginny opened the passenger’s door for him. “It’s amazing – oh, look,”
Ginny suddenly said in a low voice. “It’s Malfoy. What a laugh. Here I am in my
brand new Jaguar, and he’s driving some cheap thing. How’s that for karma? All the
times he called me poor.” Ginny opened the driver’s door and stepped in. “Well, I
wonder who’s laughing now?” She glanced across at him, smiling. “Harry, say
something. You haven’t spoken a word since you’ve seen me.”

Harry glanced in his rearview mirror at a sullen Teddy, slumped far down in the back
seat. Their eyes met and they understood: it was embarrassing. Draco, pureblood (and
wealthy) aristocrat, with his discreet and common Audi, Ginny Weasley with her
bright red Jaguar.

“Well? Say something,” Ginny repeated, smiling. He finally looked at her.

“You’re on empty.”

“What?”

“Petrol.”

140
“Petrol? Can’t we just use magic?”

“Not if the car hasn’t specifically been set up for it, no.”

Ginny stared at him, confused.

He sighed.

____________________

“Scorpius, get in the back seat.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re small and don’t need the leg room,” Draco said, adjusting his
mirrors.

“But — ” Scorpius stopped mid-sentence as he realised he’d be sitting with Teddy,

and he happily clambered into the back seat. “I’m not taking the middle!”

“Me neither,” Ted sniffed.

There was a scuffle, which broke up when Ginny sat herself between them.

“Oh, Ginny, you can sit in the front,” Harry tried, but Ginny shook her head,
gesturing at Draco’s back.

“No, thanks. I’d rather not,” she said, pulling a face. “I don’t want to tread on any
toes here.”

141
Harry told himself not to snap. Draco had been perfectly polite and helpful. Neither
smirk nor sneer had crossed his face, and his voice hadn’t been smug or
condescending. The only emotion he’d shown so far was exasperation at Scorpius,
who was being rather fidgety. And now, as they finally pulled out from the curb,
Scorpius was up to no good. As usual.

“Hey, nice car, toff,” he sniggered to Teddy.

“It’s not my car! And it’s not Harry’s, either. It’s Ginny’s.”

Ginny looked hurt and Harry sighed, feeling bad for her.

“Come on, don’t pick a fight,” Harry said warningly, craning his neck around to glare
at them.

“I thought you said Ginny was bringing up your Ford,” Teddy said accusingly.

“Well, apparently there was a change of plan.” Harry couldn’t get mad at Teddy
either — he understood Teddy’s embarrassment, especially in front of his school
friend.

“Nobody told me,” Teddy sulked.

“You don’t need to be told of everything that goes on around here, I’m not a bloody
noticeboard,” Harry said with exasperation. Scorpius stared at him.

“What?” Harry snapped.

“You sound exactly like Dad.”

142
“Oh.”

Harry turned back round, thoroughly embarrassed. He sounded like Draco. Great.
He glanced across at Draco; he was looking straight ahead at the highway, but Harry
swore he could almost see a faint smile on his face.

“I’m bored,” Teddy piped up from the backseat.

“Play a game,” Harry directed, staring out the window.

“I know a good game,” Teddy sniggered, and Harry instantly whipped round,
managing to grab Teddy’s arm despite the constraint of the seatbelt.

“Absolutely not, no writing rude words on the window or I’ll kick you out and you’ll
have to walk!”

“All the way to Tulip Hill?” Scorpius scoffed.

“Yes,” Harry said, glaring. Scorpius looked outraged.

“That’s real mean, sir,” Scorpius began, but Teddy was grinning.

“He wouldn’t. He’s a softie.”

“I am not,” Harry growled, but the boys were laughing over the top of him.
Eventually they sobered up, the boys quietly talking. Harry listened absent-mindedly.

“...yeah, a bloody dragon...he’s so full of shit...”

“And a bottle of firewhiskey, don’t forget that bit.”

143
“Mmm.”

There was silence for a while, then —

“Shame about old Cornelius Fudge, eh?”

“Yeah.” A pause. “He was a right shitbag though, weren’t he?”

Harry and Draco simultaneously burst out laughing.

“What?” Scorpius said, grinning at them, quite pleased with himself. Scorpius liked
making people smile and laugh, Harry noted. The problem was not everyone had his
sense of humour, and not everybody appreciated it.

At length, Teddy produced a pack of Exploding Snap, and the boys played for a while
as Draco drove. Harry gazed out at the darkening sky, then glanced across at Draco,
surprised to see Draco’s pale face and tense expression. Harry frowned, then glanced
in the rearview mirror and noted Scorpius staring out the window, ignoring Teddy
and fidgeting very much.

Oh.

There was a full moon tonight.

“I feel a little sick,” Harry said. Ginny looked at him with concern.

“Are you alright? Do you need some water?” she asked quickly.

“No, just some fresh air.” He glanced across at Draco and their eyes met briefly.

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Draco applied the brakes and pulled over as Ginny quickly unbuckled her seatbelt
and managed to climb over the boys.

“Hang on, Harry — ”

Draco got out of the car and walked round to the passenger side where Harry stood,
pulling out a packet of cigarettes and offering him one.

“Are you smoking?” Ginny asked, glaring.

“Yes.”

“Around children?”

“My apologies.” Draco walked away, stepping over a low ditch so he was now
standing on the edge of a field. Harry followed him and Ginny retreated, slamming
the car door and muttering.

“How much longer til Tulip Hill?” Harry murmured, as Draco inhaled deeply and
stared at his feet, apparently deep in thought.

“About a half hour. We won’t make it.”

They stood in silence for a few moments — such precious seconds — and Harry
watched absent-mindedly as Draco flicked ash from the end of his cigarette. His
hands were very steady and Harry realised that he was probably panicking like
anything.

“Side-Along Apparition.”

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“What?” Draco asked.

“Side-Along Apparition,” Harry repeated. “You can Apparate with him — ”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Draco looked up at him, his eyes unreadable. “I’m a Muggle, remember?”

“Oh. Er. Right.” Harry glanced at the car. Scorpius was peering out at them, whilst
Ginny was patiently and unsuccessfully trying to engage Teddy in conversation.
“Look...I’ll Apparate with Scorpius, maybe?” He wasn’t sure how welcome his
suggestion was, but Draco nodded quickly.

“Alright. The address is 42 Roseneath Road,” Draco murmured.

“Right.”

“Scorpius knows what to do. I always use the garage — on full moon nights I just
park the car on the street. Here’s the key.” Draco took a ring of keys from his pocket
and removed a small silver one, handing it over to Harry, along with two others.

“Alright. I’ll just go tell Ginny something, then I’ll be back.”

Draco frowned. “You’re just going to make up a believable lie on the spot?”

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“Yes.” Harry left him and went to the car, opening Ginny’s door. “Ginny, Scorpius
isn’t feeling to well.” On cue, Scorpius wheezed most unconvincingly. “He needs his
asthma puffer, I’m going to Disapparate ahead with him.”

“Why can’t Malfoy do it?” Ginny asked, looking unhappy.

“He doesn’t trust either of us to drive his car. I’m sorry, Ginny.” Harry pulled a face.

“Oh. Typical. Well, I’ll get Malfoy to drop us off and meet you at home, I suppose.”
She sat back, sighing.

“Thanks, Ginny. Come on, Scorpius.”

Scorpius clambered out quickly and they both looked around furtively, checking for
Muggles. Draco came over and nodded at them.

“Scorpius, you’ll need to explain to Harry what needs doing. I’ll be home in half an
hour at the least.”

“Okay,” Scorpius said, and Harry clamped him to his side before Disapparating with
a loud crack.

Draco stared at the spot where they had been for a moment, before walking back to
the car.

“Just us then,” Ginny said brightly, and Draco managed a tight smile.

“Yes. Just us.”

Teddy looked miserable.

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 ____________________

Harry arrived, Scorpius stumbling next to him, outside quite a nice house. Like
Draco’s Audi, it was nice, small, tasteful. There was nothing big or flashy or overdone
about it.

“Come on sir, we gotta move real quick,” Scorpius said urgently, tugging on Harry’s
sleeve and gazing up at the evening sky. “It’s almost here. Here, get the garage door
up.” Scorpius raced over to a small garage and began tugging at the roll-up door.
Harry quickly strode over and assisted him, the door instantly giving way.

“It’s perfect, see, coz I learnt how to turn handles,” Scorpius explained. “But I can’t
do these fucking roll-up doors. I can’t get close enough to figure them out either, coz
Dad made the handles and locks silver. Can’t go near the fuckers.” He ducked under
the door as it was going up and Harry glanced in. It was, unlike every other garage he
had encountered, completely bare apart from some blankets in the corner. Scorpius
noted his glance. “Yeah, Dad used to store stuff in here, paint and wood and all that
usual shit, ’cept I kinda tore it all apart. Dad says I’m like a bloody wrecking ball
when I’m under the change,” Scorpius said proudly. “When I get tired and the
morning comes I go to sleep on the blankets. That’s if I haven’t eaten them. Dad says
we should start buying shares in blanket companies.”

Harry laughed, despite the circumstances. Scorpius grinned up at him. Was it just the
light, or did Scorpius’s teeth seem a little longer, a little sharper? Harry’s smile faded
and he suppressed a shiver, glancing up at the setting sun.

“Just roll down the door, lock it up, that’s all there is to it really,” Scorpius said. Harry
again had to suppress the urge to walk backwards to the door. He did not want to
turn his back on Scorpius.

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“It’s okay, sir,” Scorpius said. “I don’t mind if you’re creeped out. That’s the point of
werewolves, isn’t it? To be scary.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“I can smell it, sir. You’re real creeped out right now. It’s cool. Even my dad used to
get scared, but he’s gotten used to it now. He’s cool as ice. Don’t worry about it.
Goodnight, sir.”

Harry walked to the door and rolled it shut, watching Scorpius’s pale face disappear
as the door descended. He turned the key gently in the lock, the silver glinting in the
last dying ray of sun.

Somewhere, a dog howled, a long and lonely howl.

____________________

Harry had wondered what the other two keys were for, but now he realised: Draco
was inviting him to enter his home.

He fumbled with the unfamiliar keys but eventually managed to open the door,
squinting into the darkness and searching for a light switch. He found one and
switched it on, blinking as he gazed around.

The door opened up into a warm and welcoming lounge area. The sofas were well
worn but looked incredibly comfortable. There was a home theatre system set up,
quite expensive but nothing extravagant. The floor was cluttered, Harry saw. CDs
and DVDs were littered around, throw-rugs draped over the back of the couches; it
looked like everyone kicked off their shoes wherever and left them to lay there, and it

149
looked like Draco liked to read books on the sofa, then just add them to a growing
pile and use it as a side table, rather than return them to the bookcase.

The lounge room was sunken; there were two steps that led up into an open kitchen
and dining area, all of which was quite relaxed and nice. A small nook led into a
bathroom and laundry, whilst in the far corner of the dining room was a staircase,
which Harry assumed led to bedrooms.

All in all, it was a small but nice and welcoming house, very well lived-in. What hit
Harry the most was the large windows and skylights. The house had clearly been
designed to let in as much light and air as possible. Harry had been expecting a dark,
dank house like the Black house, filled with fiddly, fancy heirlooms and dark antique
furniture. But everything here was light and modern. In fact, there was nothing
Malfoy. No portraits of his parents, no family photos besides the odd picture of
Scorpius. Harry picked up a framed photograph and examined it. It was a photo of
very young Scorpius riding a tricycle through a dirt puddle, laughing in glee as the
dirty water came up around him. Harry turned the picture over and edged it out of
the frame: Scorpius, 4 ½.

He placed the picture back down and played with the idea of making a cup of coffee.
He very badly wanted one, but that would require rifling through Draco’s kitchen.
Eventually his cravings won and he found a selection of mismatched mugs. He went
for one printed with stars and began a long search for coffee.

Fifteen minutes later, he was prepared to give up.

“Who knows,” he said aloud. “Who doesn’t have coffee in their kitchen?”

Something brushed his leg and he suppressed a scream, leaping backwards.

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A black and white cat stared sorrowfully up at him, meowing loudly.

“Oh,” Harry said, relieved. “A cat. Merlin.” He bent low and examined the cat’s tags,
ignoring its loud purring: Beadle. And on the reverse side: 42 Roseneath Rd, Tulip Hill.
“So, Beadle,” Harry said, as the cat happily nudged its head along his knee. “I
suppose you’re hungry.” It meowed again loudly, still purring, and Harry opened the
fridge, systematically searching the shelves until he found half a can of cat food. Now,
how much? The rest, he decided. And where would Beadle’s bowl be? He took a few
steps forward with the can in hand, and Beadle ran excitedly into the laundry. Aha.
He followed and found a small red bowl, filling it up and opening the side-door that
led outside. The air greeted him, balmy and lovely, and he stepped into the night,
staring at the clear stars, at the lonely moon.

A lonely howl came from the garage, and sympathy surged into Harry’s heart. Here
he was, standing here in the night, enjoying it and living in it, whilst in the dark,
Scorpius waited for the long dawn.

He sighed and placed the can in the recycling bin, stepping back into the welcoming
light of Draco’s home.

____________________

He hated waiting around for Draco, Ginny and Teddy. It was already half-nine, and
Draco had said he should be home about twenty minutes ago. Harry walked restlessly
round the kitchen, washed a couple of dishes in the sink, and finally wandered back
into the lounge. He picked up a book: Oliver Twist.

“I take it Scorpius is alright?”

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Harry jumped and the book dropped, falling onto a half-empty mug of tea. It fell
over, spilling all over the book and carpet, and Harry stumbled backwards, instantly
treading on a CD and hearing a loud crack as it broke in two.

“Oh — fuck — sorry,” he stuttered, heat rushing to his face.

“It’s fine,” Draco said, shrugging. “Teddy was geting tired so Weasley asked me to
drop them off first. I’ll just feed the cat,” he added, “then I’ll see you out.”

“Oh, I fed it.”

“You fed the cat?” Draco stared at him.

“Er, yes,” Harry said, the embarrassment coming back.

Draco raised an eyebrow, pausing for a moment. “Well,” he said at last, “tea or
coffee?”

Harry smiled tentatively.

____________________

Harry sat at the island counter, watching Draco wander around the kitchen and talk.

“Thank you for helping out with Scorpius,” Draco said, measuring out coffee
granules. “Is Guatemalan roast okay?”

“That’s fine,” Harry replied. He shifted, feeling out of place. “I don’t mind. It must
be hard, him being a werewolf.”

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“Oh, that bit is easy,” Draco said, placing a filter in his coffeemaker. “It’s the human
Scorpius I have problems with. Did you know he was expelled from Durmstrang?”

“Yes.”

“What a nightmare. He’s promised to try harder at Hogwarts, but every day I’m
getting annoyed letters and warnings — even howlers — from professors.”

“Howlers?” Harry asked, surprised.

“Oh, yes.” Draco leant back on the kitchen counter as the coffeemaker bubbled
quietly behind him. “Penelope Clearwater, always yelling at me about something he’s
done. At least once a week.”

“She can’t do that,” Harry said, shocked. “She can’t send you howlers! That’s very
unprofessional of her!”

“It’s alright,” Draco said, smiling. “I don’t mind. You know though, I’m still waiting
for your letter?”

“My letter?”

“Yes. I have one letter from every professor except you.”

“I’ve sent you letters,” Harry said. Draco raised an eyebrow. “Scorpius and I wrote
them together. He was very excited about his firebolt, I should thank you for that. He
took a lot more interest in writing after that.”

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Draco said nothing, but Harry was certain he hadn’t known that Harry had helped
Scorpius write the letters home. Suddenly he just wanted to be frank, not to be nice
and tiptoe around it all.

“Why are you being nice to me?” he asked bluntly. “I mean, we bloody hate each
other. We used to fight in school all the time. You broke my fucking nose. I slashed
your chest to bits. We hate each other. All those nasty little fights, all the insults and
baiting and taunting and curses. All the times we humiliated each other and got each
other into trouble and — you tried to Crucio me! You bloody wanted me dead! You
were always such a complete prat to me. So why the hell are you suddenly all nice?
You hated me, you wanted me and my friends dead.”

Draco poured two mugs, listening patiently. When Harry finished, he finally spoke.

“Milk?”

“No. No fucking milk.”

“Alright.”

“Were you even listening?” Harry snapped.

“Yes.” Draco added milk to his coffee and took a sip. “Do you remember, Potter,
when you came to the Manor?”

Harry nodded, his eyes narrowed.

“And my father ordered me to identify you. Of course, you had a slight question mark
over you. Badly swollen face, hard to recognise, you might say. But I know your face
very well. I’d been seeing it nearly every day for the past six years. I knew at first

154
glance. And Granger — of course that was her. And Weasley, too. Unmistakeable.
But I still wouldn’t identify any of you. Because you see, in the end I didn’t hate you. I
didn’t want you dead. I didn’t want any of you dead. In the end, I chose a world
without Voldemort and a world with Harry Potter.”

It’s our choices that define us. Dumbledore’s soft voice echoed through Harry’s mind.

“A wise decision,” Draco said. “Perhaps the best I’ve ever made. I doubt it makes up
for all my other stupid choices, but you’ll have to forgive me those. I was young and
stupid.”

“Weren’t we all?” Harry said.

“Not you. You were always brave, not stupid,” Draco snorted. “According to everyone
but me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. According to Hermione I was occasionally stupid, according to

the media I was a nutcase, according to Dumbledore I was a saviour...”

“I’d go with the nutcase theory,” Draco said, sipping his coffee, and Harry laughed.

“Thanks a lot. Last time I feed your cat.”

They sat in silence for a while, sipping at their coffees. Harry looked around, noting
again nothing was magic nor of Malfoy heritage.

“Does Scorpius know your history?” Harry asked.

“I’m a Muggle, completely unrelated to any wizards or witches,” Draco said matter-
of-factly, and it suddenly dawned on Harry that it was a massive undertaking.

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“What about your wand?”

“I snapped it in two and threw it away.”

“Your old textbooks? Uniforms? Firebolt? Prefect badges, potions sets, quills?”

“I had them all destroyed. Everything from Hogwarts.”

“What about your eagle owl?”

“I gave him away.”

Harry was hesitant about the next question, but ploughed on regardless. “Family
photographs? Portraits? Heirlooms? What about everything you had at home?”

“All destroyed,” Draco said. “Down to the last Chocolate Frog wrapper.”

“Your parents?”

“They live in Wiltshire still, but I haven’t told them where I live. I visit them now and
again. They don’t know about Scorpius. They can’t. Can you imagine Scorpius living
with that stigma? Son of a Death-Eater. He would be shunned, tormented, hated.
This is a legacy I refuse to pass on.”

A sacrifice, Harry realised. Draco had sacrificed his life as a wizard. He had moved
away from his family, his beloved mother, he had destroyed every remnant of his life
previous to Scorpius. He had wanted Scorpius to live the life he had been unable to.
He had been unselfish.

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“A father at seventeen,” Harry murmured unthinkingly. How young — too young.

“You or me?” Draco asked.

“What, me?”

“Yes. Teddy, is he your son?”

“He’s the son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks,” Harry said quietly. “They
were killed in the Battle. I was blessed as Godfather to Teddy just weeks beforehand.”

“And you took him in?”

“No. He remained with his grandmother for a few years — his grandfather was also
killed in the Battle. I didn’t think I was mature enough to care for him. When he was
about five, he began visiting me and now he splits his time evenly between me and his
grandmother.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Draco said. “I was given Scorpius, on the eve of the Battle.
There was nobody to give him to.” He looked up at Harry. “I’ve never told anyone
before, and now I’m confiding in you. I can’t say I saw this coming.”

“Don’t worry,” Harry said. “I’m a nutcase. It’s probably contagious.”

Draco laughed and went on, absently drawing patterns in some spilt coffee. “It was
Pansy, of course.”

“Ah. Young love.”

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“Of course. She didn’t tell me, until right before the Battle. Remember how she
wanted everyone to just hand you over to Voldemort? She didn’t want to fight. She
was terrified. Anyway,” Draco said, “suffice to say she didn’t tell me and I didn’t know
until we had this argument right before the Battle. I said I was going to stay and fight,
and she told me I was stupid and I didn’t even know which side to fight on. Which
was fair, because it was true. Then she told me I couldn’t die, because I was going to
be a father.”

“Merlin.”

“I know. I panicked, of course. Started yelling at her. I was very frightened. I didn’t
want a child, not on top of everything else. In any case, I was Summoned by
Voldemort and had to leave, and the Battle commenced soon after.” Draco absently
smoothed over the careful circle he had created. “And you know how the rest plays.
Mostly me running backwards and forwards, not sure who to fight or why. By the time
it all ended, I had lost most of my friends and acquaintances. Crabbe, fuck. What a
way to go. Sometimes I still hear the screams.”

They sat for a moment, their coffees long cold. Draco went on. “Anyway. Everyone
hated me. The Voldemort supporters hated me, the Light side hated me. I remember
sitting in the Great Hall by myself, feeling completely alone. Then Theodore Nott,
remember him? He came up to me. A complete mess. He’d been half-mauled by
some curse. But he’d managed to somehow crawl out of the wreckage and find me,
babbling about something. He mumbled something about Pansy being attacked by
werewolves, then he pushed a bundle of rags into my hands and died.

“It was, of course, Scorpius. Newly-born. I mean, really new. His umbilical cord
hadn’t been cut properly, he was mewling away, and I just — I mean, Pansy had just
been mauled to death, Theo had tried to help her and died, Crabbe had just been
consumed by Fiendfyre, Goyle was already on the run, my godfather was dead and

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my parents were murderers and I was sitting in the middle of a war holding an infant.
What could I do?

“What did you do?” Harry asked, intrigued.

“I Apparated to Gringotts. Demanded my money. The place was madness anyway,

but I managed to get it. Then I exchanged it for Muggle pounds and had this house
built whilst I lived temporarily in the Manor. And by the time Scorpius was six
months old, this place was finished. I destroyed all evidence that I was a wizard, got a
new name — first name, at least — and lived in the Muggle world.”

“You raised Scorpius by yourself, as a Muggle?”

“Yes. I was determined to do something right in my life. Make the right choice for
once. I wanted Scorpius to have everything I never had. I wanted him to never know
what a Death-Eater was. To never hear the word Voldemort. To never know dark
magic.”

“What about him being a werewolf ?” Harry asked softly. “You would have had to
explain it to him.”

“He’s been a werewolf for as long as he can remember. It’s part of his life. He can’t
remember why or how or what or who. He’s never needed an explanation.”

Harry sat back, took a sip of the cold coffee and winced. Draco laughed, breaking the
sadness and reaching out to take Harry’s cup and pour it down the sink.

“Do you want another? Or tea.”

“What sort of tea do you have?”

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Draco smiled. “You’re asking the right person.” He opened a polished wooden box to
reveal small compartments all carefully filled with different teas.

“Er...you pick one out,” Harry said. “I’m in unfamiliar territory.”

“Chamomile. Always a winner,” Draco said decisively, picking a sachet out and
putting the kettle on.

“So you destroyed all evidence?” Harry asked, still unable to get over the fact that
every single magic thing had been removed.

“Not all,” Draco said hesitantly. Harry raised his eyebrows.

Draco disappeared upstairs and returned a few moments later with what appeared to
be a ragged piece of black cloth. He handed it over to Harry, who smoothed it out
slowly, the material familiar in his hands. He turned it over and frowned.

A Slytherin crest adorned one side it, the silver and green threads shining brightly in
the kitchen light.

“It’s what Scorpius was wrapped in,” Draco said. “A bit of Pansy’s school robes.”

Harry dropped the material as if was a hot coal, leaping backwards. Draco flinched
and his elbow sent one of the mugs of tea flying, smashing all over the floorboards.
Harry tried to calm his breathing. Merlin. A ragged piece of robe. The crest would
have been right over Pansy’s heart. Harry didn’t want to know how this piece of robe
came to be.

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Draco’s face was pale, expressions flicking across it like a flame upon a candle, his
hands gripping the kitchen counter tightly.

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled quickly. “Look, I’ve got to go.” Without another word he
hurried to the front door and fumbled with it for a moment before opening and
slamming it behind him.

He stood for a long time, leaning against the door and trying to calm his breathing,
waiting for his heart to slow. The kitchen light remained on for a long time.

Harry glanced at the soft glow, then Disapparated.

Another howl, lonely and pitiful, filled the otherwise silent night.

____________________

“Harry? Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried about you!” Ginny was standing by
the front door, looking welcoming. Harry hugged her for a moment, enjoying the soft
feel of her robes and the smell of her hair, before stepping back.

“I’m sorry. I just had to help Malfoy out with a few things,” Harry mumbled.

“It’s midnight, you were gone hours,” Ginny notes. “Never mind. Do you want
anything to drink?”

“No thanks,” Harry said quickly. “I’m really tired, I think I’ll just head to bed.”

“Oh. Alright.” Ginny stepped after him, leaning against the doorframe and watching
as he brushed his teeth. “I’m really looking forward to summer. I was thinking we

161
could head up to Scotland, wander round Hogsmeade. Enjoy the place without any
pesky students around.”

“I find little to enjoy about it,” Harry said, rinsing his mouth.

“It’s lovely in summer. Though if you want a real summer, we could always head to
France. Remember when Hermione went for her trip? It always sounded really
beautiful, I’d love to see that forest, wouldn’t you?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “Ginny, I already have seen those forests. In seventh
year.”

“Did you really?”

“Yes. Before the Battle. I’m sure Ron told you?”

“Oh, I must have forgotten,” Ginny looked uncomfortable for a moment before
smiling quickly. “Honestly, sometimes I swear I’m going senile already. Could you pass
me my hairbrush?”

He silently passed it to her and walked past, going into his bedroom.

“Harry?” Ginny called. “Are you alright?”

He didn’t answer as he undressed, sliding between cool sheets and closing his eyes.
Sleep, at last.

He just wanted to forget today.

____________________

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“I’m going round to Scorpius’s.”

“Alright.” Harry turned a page and took a bite of toast.

“Well, I’m not walking.”

“It’s only a mile or so,” Harry said, drinking some pumpkin juice and writing in some
crossword answers.

“Please, Harry? Or I’ll try Apparating again,” Teddy threatened.

“How about tomorrow?” Harry asked, taking another bite of toast. “You only got out
of school a week ago.”

“It’s been two weeks, actually,” Teddy sniffed.

“Go play with Max and Liz again, then,” Harry said, referring to Teddy’s Muggle
friends.

“No, they’re boring.”

“Alright, alright! After I’ve done my crossword.”

“After you’ve done your crossword,” Teddy agreed happily, pouring himself a glass of
pumpkin juice. “Can I help?”

“Sure. Five down. ‘Express’.”

“That’s the clue?”

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“Yes,” Harry said.

“Well, does it mean ‘express’ like fast or ‘express’ like express yourself, or ‘express’ like
precise, or what?”

“I don’t know,” Harry laughed. Teddy grinned. Harry was always a little irritable in
the mornings and Teddy liked making him smile, regarding it as his own personal
challenge.

“Pretty stupid crossword writer,” Teddy said critically. “They should fire them.”

“I think the crosswords are done by a computer,” Harry shrugged. Teddy looked
devastated.

“Computer? I always thought of a crossword writer spending lots of time making

one, and then I spend ages on the answers, trying to think like them and put myself in
their frame of mind,” Teddy said sadly.

“Santa Claus doesn’t exist either,” Harry said, and Teddy pulled a face, punching his
shoulder lightly.

“I think the answer to ‘express’ is ‘rapid’,” he said, and Harry marked it in reluctantly.
“There you go! All finished!”

“Alright, I’ll grab my keys. Get your shoes.”

Teddy happily ran off and Harry lazily folded the newspaper, gazing into the
distance.

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“Come on, you’ve barely moved!” Teddy shouted happily, lugging a bag through the
kitchen. Harry raised an eyebrow.

“What is that?”

“My overnight bag.”

“You’re staying the night?”

“Yes.” Teddy grinned.

“Thanks for the update,” Harry sighed.

“You don’t have to know everything that goes on around here, I’m not a bloody
noticeboard,” Teddy parroted, and Harry rolled up the newspaper, shouting as Teddy
ran away laughing.

“Get back here!” he yelled, but when Teddy was out of sight he just shook his head
and laughed to himself. Draco was welcome to Teddy; it would give Harry a break,
thank Merlin.

____________________

Harry pulled up outside number forty-two.

“Alright, there you go.”

“You’re not coming in?” Teddy asked.

“No.”

165
“Why not?”

“I’m avoiding Dra — Lucas,” Harry said, trying to shove Teddy out the door, but
Teddy climbed determinedly back in.

“Why? What’ve you done to annoy him?”

“Never you mind.”

“Harry! I can’t believe you pissed off Scorpius’s dad! Thanks a lot, now he’ll hate
me!” Teddy hissed.

“Language! See, I knew Scorpius was a bad influence...”

“I’m not going in unless you’re coming in with me!” Teddy argued. “You’re always
going on about being nice and polite to people, and you go and anger Mr Malfoy! He
probably won’t even let me and Scorpius do anything now!”

“What do you mean by that?” Harry said suspiciously, making a lunge for Teddy’s
bag. Teddy tried to snatch it away but was too slow, and Harry triumphantly
unzipped the bag.

“Oh. And what’s this?” Harry demanded.

“Okay, I can explain — ”

“Please do, I’m very interested in hearing your excuse for having a bag full of
fireworks.”

166
“Just give them back, it wasn’t going to be anything dangerous, Scorpius just had this
wicked idea about rockets and Fizzing Whizzbees — ”

Harry snorted and Teddy reached up and snatched the bag from Harry’s hands.
“Fine, I’ll just go — ”

“Oh no you don’t!” Harry retorted.

“Why, are you going to stop me? Because you can’t step out of the car or Mr Malfoy
will get you — ”

Harry leapt out of the car and Teddy squeaked, running towards Draco’s front door,
Harry angrily in pursuit. After a long chase around the front garden, Harry managed
to bail Teddy up an apple tree.

“Drop the bag.”

Teddy knew when he was cornered and he sighed, dropping from the tree and
handing over the bag.

“Thank you,” Harry said, grabbing him round the collar and marching him towards
the front door. “And I’ll confiscate this bag, thank you.”

“Hey, I paid for those fireworks!”

“Well, this teaches you a lesson then, doesn’t it?”

“Alright, alright,” Teddy sighed. Before Harry could leave, however, the front door
opened to reveal a grinning Scorpius.

“In trouble, eh Teddy? I was watching from the kitchen. Dead funny.”

167
“Excellent,” Harry muttered.

“You wanna come in for tea, biscuits, all that?” Scorpius asked Harry.

“Oh, I’m a little busy — ”

“Come on sir, you gotta be nice with my dad coz he hardly lets me have anyone over,”
Scorpius said. “You gotta try his raspberry tea, he fucking imports it and everyone
loves it. ’Cept me. Hey sir, you could do me a favour, yeah? Find out where the
fucking coffee is hidden, sir — ”

“Alright,” Harry muttered reluctantly, following Scorpius as he raced into the kitchen.
Teddy muttered to Harry.

“Please be nice, I plan on spending a lot more time over here.”

“What’s the matter, don’t like home?” Harry laughed, but Teddy gave him a serious
look.

“It’s just that Ginny’s round an awful lot...”

“I thought you liked Ginny.”

“To a certain extent,” Teddy said ambiguously.

“She’s really nice,” Harry said. “You said so yourself.”

“Too nice. I don’t know,” Teddy replied. “She looks...better in the old photographs
you’ve got of her, at Hogwarts. She looks really different.”

168
“Twelve years does that to you,” Harry said dryly.

“Not like that. I mean she looks really serious in those photographs, like she’s
thoughtful or determined to do something. Now she doesn’t look like anything, she
just smiles all the time.”

“Did you bring the fireworks?” Scorpius cut in, helping himself generously to the
biscuit tin.

“Yeah...almost,” Teddy mumbled. “Harry won’t let me.”

“Oh, sir, be cool!”

“I’d rather be alive,” Harry said. “I don’t trust either of you.”

“Scorpius, what’s this about fireworks?”

“Oh...nothing, Dad.”

Draco had arrived from upstairs, looking quite composed.

“And don’t eat all the biscuits.”

“Okay, Dad.” Scorpius made a great show of carefully pushing the biscuit tin away.

“Can I get you anything, Harry?” Draco asked, glancing once at him.

“I’d love to try this imported raspberry tea,” Harry said.

169
“And coffee,” Scorpius whispered to Harry.

“Harry can’t drink coffee before afternoon and I can’t eat chocolate until after lunch.
It’s a rule,” Teddy explained.

Harry sat by the island counter again, watching Draco make the tea.

“Come on, I’ll show you my room,” Scorpius said to Teddy.

“I hope you’ve cleaned it,” Draco said warningly, handing Harry’s cup of tea to him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Scorpius said, sighing loudly.

“I mean it. Or I’ll send Teddy home.”

“I cleaned it, it’s the fucking cat that gets in there, she’s fucking annoying — ”

“Language, Scorpius,” Draco said.

“Sorry, Dad. But it’s clean, I swear. Come on.” With that, he and Teddy departed,
running up the stairs so noisily they sounded like baby elephants.

“Anything I should know about Ted?” Draco asked, rinsing some dishes. “Any
problems or medication or anything?”

“No, nothing. I’ve been very lucky, he’s never had any health problems. His
transmogrification skills are starting to get a little interesting though, so don’t be
alarmed if he suddenly turns up with purple hair or a beaky nose or something.”

“Interesting.”

170
“Yes. Apparently it’s not hereditary, although his mother was one.”

“Mmm. Well, I expect you’d want to be on your way. I’m sure you can show yourself
out.”

“Yes. Thanks for the tea.”

Draco made no reply, simply picking up Harry’s empty cup and rinsing it out. Harry
walked to the door, frowning. Draco was definitely being stand-offish. Not rude or
annoyed or sullen, but he was definitely being politely distant and impersonal, as
though Harry was a complete stranger.

He opened the door and stepped out, walking straight onto Beadle who yowled
indignantly.

Behind him, he heard the sound of something shattering on floorboards.

He shut the door and left.

____________________

“How about this? This is nice.”

“Harry, it’s hideous. Put it down.”

Harry sighed and replaced the spoon, which danced happily underneath a floating
pie dish.

“Alright, how about that then?” Harry pointed.

171
“What is it?” Ginny asked, suspicious.

“I’m not sure.”

“Look, I’ll do the shopping, you just stand there and look confused,” Ginny laughed.

“We’ve been here three hours,” Harry said moodily.

“So?” Ginny asked, picking up a potato peeler that began whizzing around
dangerously.

“So, I’ve only got one dose of Polyjuice Potion left,” Harry muttered.

“There’s no reporters around. Just relax.”

“There will be, trust me. It’s been over a decade and they still haven’t lost interest.”

“Of course they haven’t, you’re the Boy Who Lived Again.”

“Keep it down!”

“Alright, alright. Do you think Hermione would like a toaster?”

“It’s a housewarming party,” Harry said. “Everyone will be getting her toasters.” He
grabbed something off a shelf. “I’m getting her these.”

“What is it? Self-cleaning saucepan set,” Ginny read. “Oh, that’s perfect for her!” She
looked around anxiously. “I’ll never be able to top that.”

172
Harry grinned. He had a knack like that. He wandered past a shelf, grabbed
something off it, and it turned out to be the perfect gift. Whereas everyone else spent
three hours wandering around hopelessly. Harry picked up a sachet absentmindedly.
Ghoul-B-Gone.

“Is there anything Muggle in here?” he asked Ginny. She gave him an odd look.

“No. I suppose they probably sell the usual basic items, like bowls or forks or what
have you. Oh, look at this cute little cutlery set, Harry! Look at all the tiny pumpkins
engraved in the handles. Hermione would absolutely love these.” Ginny examined the
price tag, then put it back hurriedly.

“You could always sell your Jaguar,” Harry said, perhaps a little unkindly, but Ginny
looked horrified.

“My Jaguar? Oh, it’s so beautiful. I could never do that!”

Harry picked up a teacup, examining it. Fine bone china — Unbreakable Spell: Guaranteed
Not To Break, Crack or Even Chip! He happily grabbed a couple, bouncing one on the
floor experimentally.

“More gifts? You’re generous,” Ginny said absently, reaching for some knives but
withdrawing her hand hastily when one twitched.

“They’re for Malfoy. I’ve accidentally broken two cups now.”

Ginny laughed. “Good for you!”

“And I’m replacing them.”

173
“Harry, you’re too nice. I’m sure he can well afford to buy a few more cups.”

Harry was growing tired of their shopping excursion and decided to end their
suffering. He reached out and took something from a shelf.

“Here you go, Ginny. Panacis Potion-Infused Candle. Hermione would adore that.”

“Oh, Harry!” Ginny clutched the candle. “You’re wonderful! This is perfect!”

He smiled.
____________________

“Hey, Harry,” Teddy said, pouring some juice. “I’m going round to Scorpius’s again
today. Maybe tomorrow.”

“It can’t be tomorrow, tomorrow’s a full moon,” Harry said absently, taking a bite of
toast. He was suddenly struck with horror; Teddy probably didn’t know about
Scorpius. Teddy glanced up and caught his expression.

“It’s okay,” Teddy said. “I know Scorpius is a werewolf.” There was a pause. “I forget
sometimes. It’s sort of weird that I can forget something that easily, isn’t it? Because
Scorpius will never forget, ever.” He looked up at Harry. “My dad was a werewolf,
wasn’t he?”

“Yes,” Harry said. “He was a very gentle, peaceful man.”

“I don’t take after him, do I?” Teddy asked, a little sadly.

174
“Of course you do,” Harry said, smiling. “You have his thoughtfulness and his quiet
determination. But you have your mother’s lightness of heart, her humour. And, of
course, her excellent Metamorphmagus skills.”

“Watch this,” Teddy said, and a look of intense concentration crossed his face. His
eyes slowly lightened and his hair became finer and fairer, his body slimming slightly
until Harry had a Scorpius sitting in front of him.

“I’ve been practising for the past month,” Teddy said happily, smiling and looking up
at Harry with grey eyes. “Don’t tell Scorpius, will you? I’m going to surprise him.”

“This feels very odd,” Harry laughed. “But that’s amazing, Teddy. Absolutely
amazing.”

“Yes, but I can’t hold it for long. I have to concentrate on everything and then I start
forgetting to keep my eyes grey or my skin more pale,” Teddy explained, his eyes
gradually darkening and his hair becoming thicker until he was back to normal.
“Still...it’ll be good for a lark. I’ve got a couple of other tricks up my sleeve.”

“What have you got planned?” Harry asked suspiciously.

“We-ell...I’ve been practising another, but you mustn’t get angry with me. I’m only
doing it to play a bit of a joke on Scorpius, I promise. I’m not going to use it do
anything stupid, like buy firewhiskey or anything,” Teddy said anxiously, and Harry
nodded his approval.

“I trust you, Teddy. I know you won’t do anything stupid,” Harry said. Whilst Teddy
might occasionally dabble in silly fireworks pranks, he’d never do anything completely
out of line. He had Remus’s logic and sensibilities when it came to that.

175
“Alright. Promise you won’t get mad?”

“I promise,” Harry said.

Once again, Teddy’s eyes lightened and his hair grew fairer. He began growing, slowly
but surely, until he was slightly taller than Harry. His fingers grew longer and slender,
his cheekbones became slightly sharper and his skin lightened.

“You promised you wouldn’t get mad.” Draco Malfoy’s anxious face looked at him.

“I – I’m not mad, just...a little...unnerved,” Harry confessed. “It’s odd, seeing people
you know aren’t them, if that makes sense...”

“Oh, I know,” Teddy said. “Trust me, when I did it in the mirror I scared myself. It’s
very odd, isn’t it?” He took a bite of toast.

Harry nodded and took a sip of juice. By the time he glanced up again, Teddy was
back to his normal self and was happily pouring more juice, apparently quite pleased
with himself.

But the image of Draco Malfoy sitting in his kitchen and eating toast would stay in his
memory forever.

____________________

They were waiting some time on the front porch before Draco answered the door,
looking quite annoyed.

“What time is it?”

176
“Four, and Teddy said he was expected,” Harry said, ready to glare at Teddy.

“What? Oh. I forgot.”

Scorpius nudged past his father and grinned at Teddy.

“Just ignore Dad. I drew up the plans, let’s go.”

“Hey — ” Harry caught Teddy by the collar. “Teddy, I don’t want any misbehaviour.”

“Okay.”

“I mean, no mischief,” Harry said pointedly, referring to his metamorphmagus skills.

“Oh, that. Okay, I promise,” Teddy said, before following Scorpius up the stairs.

“Should I be worried?” Draco frowned.

“No. I hope,” Harry said, wandering into the kitchen.

“You hope? That doesn’t inspire much faith.”

“I’m sorry, I thought Teddy was expected,” Harry said, Draco’s mood seemingly
unimproved.

“Don’t take it personally,” Draco said, still sounding faintly irritated.

“I’ll try,” Harry said, putting the kettle on as Draco rummaged through a drawer of
tea-towels. “Listen, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

177
Draco said nothing, opening the fourth drawer and rifling through rolls of cling wrap
and baking paper.

“Although to be fair, you shouldn’t have sprung it on me like that. It’s horrific enough
listening to you talk about Pansy at the Battle, but to actually hold it in your hands,
this evidence that someone you went to school with was killed...how many deaths am
I still yet to hear of ? Do you have any idea how many funerals I’ve attended?”

Draco looked up at him at last. “Oh,” he said. “I thought you were just disgusted.”

“Sorry?”

“Holding the clothing of someone torn apart by werewolves. I thought you just felt
sickened by it.”

“No,” Harry said bluntly. “I didn’t. I just felt...horror. For her. You can go ahead and
call me a hypocrite and say I hated her and yes, I didn’t like her very much. But
nobody deserves that.”

“I don’t know how Scorpius survived. I am eternally grateful to Theodore Nott,”

Draco murmured, absently stirring his tea. “He wasn’t even friends with me, did you
know that? He and Pansy had study sessions in the library sometimes, but that was it.
And Merlin knows what he was doing at the Battle. Got left behind, or went back for
something, or just got caught up in it. But he must have been there and spotted Pansy
and tried to offer as much help as possible. And when she was killed, he must have
rescued Scorpius and crawled, dying, to deliver him to me. He owed me nothing and
yet he died for Scorpius. How easily he could have walked away from Pansy, from the
Battle, and gone on to live. But he didn’t. He died, and my son lived.”

178
“Split-second decisions,” Harry said aloud. “In battle, they change everything. Teddy
became an orphan because a curse was a few inches to the left or right. Things like
that.” He paused and suddenly smiled. “It’s nice, talking about the Battle.”

“It’s depressing,” Draco muttered.

“Yes, but it’s nice to know other people went through the same horror, the same
sufferings. That you weren’t alone.”

“Don’t you talk about it with the Weaslette?” Draco asked curiously.

“Ginny? Merlin, no. I just — can’t.”

“But she was there, wasn’t she? She’d understand.”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

“Well, you should try,” Draco argued. “You won’t know otherwise. Maybe she really
wants to discuss it too.”

“No, she doesn’t. All she ever talks about is how nice Hogwarts is, isn’t the lake pretty,
oh the forest is so beautiful, wasn’t it great being seventeen — oh, I forgot. These are
for you.” Harry handed over the teacups and Draco examined them, surprised.

“Oh. Thanks. They’re...practical.”

“And fun, too,” Harry said, bouncing one on the floor as though it was a basketball.
Draco laughed, startled, and Harry noted his surprised expression. “Been a while
since you saw magic?”

179
Draco shrugged, quickly looking away. “Yes. I was hoping to see some on my trip to
Hogwarts, but I didn’t.”

“That must’ve been a trip down memory lane, visiting Hogwarts.”

“It was,” Draco said, a sad smile lacing across his lips. “I often think of myself as a
naive eleven-year-old, strutting the halls, filled with self-importance and confidence...”

“Confidence? I’d say arrogance,” Harry suggested, and Draco laughed good-
naturedly.

“Yes, I suppose. Arrogance.”

“But you’ve changed,” Harry noted.

“Scorpius made me grow up rather quickly. I supposed he made me change quickly

as well. I’d say Teddy’s made you change, too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. More patient. Much more calm,” Draco said.

“Oh,” Harry said, feeling pleased.

“Don’t let that go to your head.”

“I won’t.” Harry paused and in the brief silence, one of the baby elephants came
downstairs again: Teddy, grinning away. As he arrived there was a sudden thump
from upstairs.

180
“What was that?” Harry asked Teddy suspiciously, but the boy just shrugged and
looked confused. Draco looked up the stairs, his brow furrowed.

“Scorpius?”

Silence.

“I’d better go check on him,” Draco said suspiciously, and made his way upstairs.

“What do you want?” Harry asked Teddy, slightly distracted by the odd thump and
the discerning silence.

“I want to show Scorpius my new Strike 4000,” Teddy said, referring to his new
broom. He’d saved up all year to buy it.

“I’m not driving you all the way back again,” Harry said severely. “I’m not going to
and fro all the time. You choose one place and stay there.”

“Good, Scorpius can stay over at my place!” Teddy said triumphantly.

“Er — that is, Scorpius’s place,” Harry tried to back-pedal quickly. Teddy was hiding
a smile, Harry was sure.

“Scorpius’s never even seen my house,” Teddy said, as Scorpius arrived downstairs,
grinning at them.

“Yeah, that’s an insult, sir,” Scorpius said, grinning.

“Oh, alright,” Harry snapped. “But you have to get your father’s permission.”

181
“Yeah, alright. Where is he?” Scorpius asked.

“He went upstairs looking for you,” Teddy laughed. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. Go get him, would you?” Scorpius said lazily.

“Why don’t you?” Teddy retorted, and Scorpius went to shove him.

“Alright, alright,” Teddy sighed, going upstairs. Scorpius turned his attention onto
Harry.

“Hey, sir, did you find out where the coffee was?”

“No.” Harry smiled.

“Oh, sir, you know! You’re just not telling me!”

“Honestly, I don’t,” Harry laughed, and Scorpius grumbled to himself as Draco

arrived downstairs, looking oddly nervous.

“Scorpius, where were you?” he asked, his voice sounding odd.

Scorpius just grinned a most mischievous grin.“Nowhere. Anyway, me and Teddy

were wondering if we could stay at his place for the night.”

Draco didn’t seem too fazed by this unexpected query. “Okay, fine — ”

“What’s going on?”

182
Draco and Scorpius looked behind them; a second Draco Malfoy approached them
from the bottom of the stairs.

“What the — ” he began as Scorpius collapsed into laughter. The first Draco
suddenly started to flicker — brown hair, red hair, black hair, pale skin, dark skin,
adult-sized, child-sized — Harry suddenly realised what was going on. He grabbed
the flickering Draco by the wrist, catching glimpses of Teddy’s terrified expression.

“Teddy, calm down. I’m a little mad at you right now, but that’s okay. Just calm down,
alright?”

The flickering faded and eventually there was Teddy, his normal self.

“He talked me into it!” Teddy shouted accusingly, pointing a finger at Scorpius, who
was still doubled up with laughter.

“Teddy, I thought you said you wouldn’t use it for anything bad. You promised me,”
Harry said quietly.

“I know, I’m sorry Harry,” Teddy said miserably, glaring at Scorpius. “Only Scorpius
said his dad wouldn’t let him stay the night, and he talked me into this — ”

“It’s alright,” Harry said. “I’m still going to lock up your Strike for a week, though.
And your grandmother will certainly hear about this.”

“I guessed as much,” Teddy said, looking wretched. “I’m sorry.”

“You should also apologise to Mr Malfoy too,” Harry said; Teddy walked up to
Draco, stared at the floor, and mumbled an apology. Draco still seemed a little in
shock.

183
“You pretended to be me?” he asked Teddy. Teddy nodded.

“Ah, don’t get pissy at him Dad, it’s my fault, I’ll take all the blame,” Scorpius said,
getting to his feet and grinning like a mad Cheshire cat. “It was my idea, I talked him
into it.”

“Why?” Draco asked.

“Coz you never let me go to other people’s houses,” Scorpius said easily. “I figured I
might actually get a chance this time. We spent ages hatching this plan, eh Teddy? Ah
well.”

“Teddy, you’re going home right now,” Harry said sternly, and Teddy walked back
over to him without complaint, putting his jacket on dejectedly.

“He can go,” Draco said quietly, sinking into a chair and holding a shaking hand to
his face.

“What?” Scorpius asked, staring at him.

“I said you could go!” Draco said more loudly.

“You two get in the car,” Harry said to Scorpius and Teddy. For once Scorpius said
nothing, walking quickly out the door with Teddy. Harry waited til he heard the slam
of car doors, then approached Draco, sliding into the chair next to him.

“Are you alright?”

“No. My son just convinced someone to impersonate me so he could go stay the night
at a friend’s place. Am I that bad a father?”

184
“I don’t know, I’d say you’re doing a decent job,” Harry said generously.

“I’m not that strict, am I?” Draco asked. “I’m not one of those parents, always
panicking over a grazed knee or following him round all the time.”

“You just don’t trust anyone else to supervise him,” Harry shrugged. “Which is fair
enough.”

“It’s stupid, I know. It’s ridiculous, it’s illogical. I only let him stay the night once at
somebody’s place, when he was about five. That one night, he fell down the stairs,
burnt his mouth on hot chocolate, had an allergic reaction to some plant, and worst
of all they had a dog. Dogs don’t like werewolves, no matter what shape they’re in.
They dropped Scorpius off at three in the morning, saying he’d gone hysterical and
perhaps it was in everyone’s best interest that he didn’t stay again. You should have
seen him, all bruised and bandaged up. The father was mumbling something about
how he swore that he saw Scorpius bite the dog. Something about rabies, and how he
thought he saw Scorpius change into a kind of dog-form, then back again. The
mother was rolling her eyes and telling him he was crazy. What a nightmare.”

“So? One bad experience,” Harry shrugged.

“So he nearly changed into a werewolf, even though it wasn’t full moon. What if that
happened again? What if he did just lose it and start attacking people? I couldn’t do
that to him or other people. It’d be like letting a tiger wander ‘round a hunter’s home.
You’re not sure who’s going to get hurt. ”

Harry hesitated for a moment. “Do you want to come over?”

“What?” Draco looked at him in confusion.

185
“Do you want to come over, have a look round the place, just sort of familiarise
yourself with it? Perhaps that would ease your mind a little. You could stay for a few
hours if you want,” Harry shrugged.

Draco thought this over, tapping his fingers against the china teacup.

“No, it’s alright,” he said at last.

“Is it?”

Draco looked up at him. “No. You’re right. I’ll come along. Otherwise I’ll spend the
rest of the day pacing around worrying.”

Harry nodded.

____________________

“You’ve got a nice place,” Draco said. Harry’s kitchen was smaller than Draco’s but it
too was light and airy, full of sun. Draco was looking quite relaxed and at ease and
Harry smiled.

“Coffee?”

“No coffee, it’s only eleven!” Teddy called out, running through the kitchen on his
way to the lounge. He was followed quickly by Scorpius racing after him.

“Alright, and you can have a Chocolate Frog!” Harry called after him.

186
“No, you said once a rule is broken, it’s broken forever!” Teddy retorted, shooting
back through again — this time on his Strike.

“Oi! No brooms in the house! Take it outside!” Harry called, floating a cup of tea
over to Draco as he stirred his own cup of tea. Draco tentatively took the cup from
the air, as though expecting it to zoom away from him.

“Biscuit? Looks like Teddy’s been in here and taken all the fancy ones,” Harry said,
inspecting the sad contents of the biscuit tin.

“I’m alright,” Draco said, looking around him and taking in his surroundings. A loud
crash was heard from the other end of the house.

“I told him to take that bloody broom out!” Harry said, annoyed. “I’ll be right back,
hang on...”

He disappeared down the hall and confronted an embarrassed Teddy, a hand

clamped over his lower face.

“Sorry Harry,” he said in muffled tones, “I know you said to take it outside and I was
riding it outside, except I turned to say something to Scorpius and — ”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Teddy said ruefully, taking away his hand to reveal a bloody nose. “Went
straight into the wall, though.”

“Episkey. Go clean yourself up.”

187
“Yeah, sorry,” Teddy said again. Scorpius picked up the fallen Strike and followed
Teddy into the bathroom, chatting away.

“Wow, that’s awesome. I wish I could do magic whenever I wanted to...”

“You can. In five years,” Teddy added.

“Five years! I’ll never survive that long...”

Harry grinned and shook his head, heading back up the hallway and pausing in the
doorway to the kitchen. Draco had his back to him and was holding a framed
photograph of Harry’s parents, examining them closely. Harry came up silently
behind him, looking over his shoulder. His mother laughed and held up a baby Harry,
his father smiling and smoothing a calloused hand over baby Harry’s fine black hair.

“My parents.”

Draco jumped and the picture dropped, the glass smashing all over the floor.

“Merlin, I’m sorry — ”

“It’s okay. Reparo,” Harry said, the glass instantly coming together, joining seamlessly.
Chips of wood flew back into the frame, making it perfect again. Harry picked it up
and handed it to Draco.

“I’m sorry,” Draco said again, running a hand over the smooth glass as though
checking for cracks or fractures.

“It’s perfect,” Harry said. “You haven’t hurt it a bit. Or me.”

188
Draco frowned, then placed the picture back onto the shelf. “Your parents look
happy.”

“I was told they were very happy people.”

“I can’t imagine not having parents.”

“I can’t imagine having parents,” Harry replied. “I think about it all the time. What
they’d be like. What my bedroom would have been like. All my birthday parties that
never happened. The presents I never got, the bedtime stories that were never read.
The toys that were never bought, the lullabies that were never sung.”

Draco hesitated. “Sometimes I think that way about magic, when I stopped doing it.
All the spells I never casted, the potions left unbrewed, the books unread. The robes I
burned, the wand I snapped, the owl I freed, the memories I destroyed. Even my
name, Draco, unused for so long. Sometimes it feels as though all of it just keeps
building up, all the magic, waiting to be freed. But it never will. Not whilst I have
Scorpius, and I’ll have him until the day I die.”

There was a short silence, broken only by the sound of a floorboard creaking. They
both turned around.

Scorpius stood in the doorway, staring.

He turned and bolted even as they both reached out to him.

____________________

189
Harry watched Draco fall apart, standing in his kitchen. He said and did nothing but
Harry could tell he was slowly losing his composure. Teddy crept to the doorway;
Draco didn’t seem to notice him. Harry sidled over.

“Is Scorpius alright?”

“Yeah, I guess. He seems a little sulky,” Teddy said, frowning. “Why? What
happened?”

“Teddy, I’ll tell you later.”

“But — ”

“Later.”

“Okay. Do you want to try and talk to Scorpius?” Teddy asked despondently. He
glanced over at Draco, who was stirring his cup of tea with a very detached
expression.

“There’s nothing I can say. And I really don’t want to leave Malfoy here, even for a
moment,” Harry said, giving Draco a wary look. He wouldn’t put it past Draco to do
something stupid. People always seemed to, when their lives fell apart. On the other
hand...Scorpius, having a bit of a sulk? A mild reaction. Harry was suspicious.

“Okay,” Teddy whispered, departing. Harry admired his sensitivity. Teddy would
grow up alright. He always would. As for Scorpius, who knew? Draco had been
seventeen years old, in the middle of a war, with everything he knew falling apart and
everyone he knew dying, and he’d been handed a newborn child. He’d done the best
he could. And here Scorpius was — with a nice house, a good education, friends,
family. Draco had done an amazing job. He’d sacrificed his entire world for Scorpius.

190
He sacrificed his family, his friends, his memories. The books I burnt, the wand I snapped in
two...

“Draco?”

“I’ve fucked it all up,” Draco said at last, pausing in his endless stirring.

“I don’t know. The problem with family is they generally always hang around, no
matter what you do.”

“What about your family? Who took you in after your parents died?” Draco asked,
his voice suspiciously brittle.

“My aunt and uncle.”

“Do you have any photos of them?”

Harry hesitated. “I last saw them twelve years ago. My cousin and I send each other
Christmas cards, that’s about it.”

“So you hate them, you’ve disowned your family?”

“I never received any love from them,” Harry said. “I was never given anything from
them. Listen, Draco, how much does Scorpius have? He has a home, he has
somebody who obviously cares a lot about him. You must have loved him very much
to give up all your magic and heritage for him. You were just trying to protect him.”

“And now he hates me. He knows I’m a Death-Eater.” Draco spat the words out.

191
“So? Your name was cleared, you were pardoned,” Harry said. “Your mother saved
my life, and so did you.”

There was no reply. Harry sat there for a long time, watching Draco. Eventually
Teddy poked his head through the door and gestured; Harry sighed and went down
the hallway with him.

“What?”

“I got an owl. Hermione wants to come over to talk about Neville’s birthday plans.”

Harry sighed, checking his watch. Not the best time.

“Alright. I don’t really want to send Malfoy home,” Harry said, thinking of Draco
standing alone in the empty house. “Tell Hermione to come on over. I’ll go see how
Scorpius is.” Harry paused again. “Tell — tell Draco if he wants to stay, he’s welcome
to. Bedroom’s down the hall. I’ll take the couch.”

“Okay,” Teddy said, nodding seriously.

Harry set off down the hallway and opened Teddy’s bedroom door. True to Teddy’s
word, Scorpius was sulking on Teddy’s bed, playing with some of Teddy’s self-
shuffling cads. He had his back determinedly to the door.

“Fuck off.”
“It’s me, Harry.”

“Who?”

“Professor Potter.”

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“Oh. Right. Well, you can fuck off too. Sir,” Scorpius added.

“I don’t think so,” Harry said. “Now quit sulking and I’ll talk.”

“About what?”

“Your dad.”

There was a silence, then Scorpius made a great show of having to turn around. He
looked furious.

“I met him when I was eleven.”

Scorpius said nothing.

“I met him in a robe shop. Madame Malkin’s.”

“I know that place,” Scorpius said, surprised, some of the anger vanishing. “That’s
where I got my robes.”

“He seemed like a very arrogant git. I didn’t like him very much.”

“Good,” Scorpius said. “I hope you cursed him.”

“I didn’t. He asked to be my friend later, and I declined. I didn’t like the way he spoke
to me.” Harry paused, but Scorpius didn’t interrupt. “And I have to say as the school
years went on, he got very nasty towards me. Always calling me names, getting me in
trouble, spreading rumours about me, finding out personal things and telling other
people.” He paused. Scorpius still said nothing.

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“During the war, I didn’t see him much. I was busy with other, more important things
than school. Did you know, Scorpius, that I was captured by Snatchers? My two
friends as well. We were dragged to Malfoy Manor, home to Draco and his parents.
The Snatchers and the other Death-Eaters decided to summon Voldemort to kill us.”

Scorpius stared up at him. “Snatchers?” he breathed. “I read all about them. What
did you do?”

“We couldn’t do anything. They’d kill us if we did. The problem was though, they
weren’t sure if it was us. The only person in the room who really knew what we
looked like was Draco. So they ordered him to identify us.”

“What happened?”

“Your father, Draco, refused that order. He refused to identify any of us. And one of
my friends created a diversion, and we escaped. And a few weeks later, we defeated
Voldemort.”

“Yeah, I read all about that in the textbooks, that’s the good exciting bit,” Scorpius
said. “His mum, the flower name — ”

“Narcissa.”

“Yeah, her. She pretended you were dead.”

“Yes. And when the war was over, the Minister of Magic himself pardoned all the
Malfoys, because Draco and Narcissa both saved my life and the lives of my friends.”
Harry paused. “I don’t think your father wanted to kill anyone. I don’t think he really
wanted to be a Death-Eater at all. He wasn’t meant to be one. And you know, your

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father once told me that he wanted you to have a better life than he ever did. He
wanted you to live a nice, normal life and not be judged because of bad choices he’d
made.”

Scorpius frowned and looked down at the covers on the bed, picking at a loose
thread. “You know what, sir?” he said. “I knew all about him being a Death-Eater.”

Harry stared.

“Yeah, it’s true. I’m not exactly stupid, no matter what Dobson says. At Durmstrang,
when I was accepted, I found out all about the Death-Eaters. Draco Malfoy, the
youngest one. They didn’t have a picture of him but I found a picture of Lucius
Malfoy. Looks an awful lot like my dad. I put it all together — what d’you call it?
Detecting. Detective work.” Scorpius twisted the thread between his fingers. “I dunno
why he did it. He just should’ve told me.”

“Maybe,” Harry said. “But he just wanted to protect you.”

“Yeah, well.” Scorpius pulled fiercely on the thread and it snapped. “People are
always telling me that. Dad, teachers, everyone. They all want to protect me.”

“Well,” Harry said, “Usually that’s because they care about you. You say you can’t
wait five years to do magic? Your father hasn’t done magic for the past twelve years,
because he wanted you to have a clean start.”

“Well he shouldn’t have!” Scorpius said angrily. “I had lots of time to think about it,
sir, it’s made me real angry. I didn’t ask for him to give it all up! I want him to have a
nice life and do magic! I didn’t ask for him to throw it all away!”

“But he did it anyway, for you.”

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“I didn’t ask him to,” Scorpius snapped again. “It’s not fair! I never wanted him to
give up his old life for me! I didn’t want to get in the way, I didn’t want to fuck up
everything!”

“Well, maybe you should tell him that,” Harry said, taken aback. No wonder
Scorpius was angry. He thought he was just a burden, that he had forced his father to
choose a different life. A lesser life.

“No. I’m still pissed at him.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll just leave you to get some sleep.” Harry went to pick up his wand,
then thought better of it, instead dragging the mattress out from underneath Teddy’s
bed and making it up. When he finished he looked around for Scorpius’s overnight
bag and handed it over to him. “Put on your pyjamas, brush your teeth. I’ll go find
Teddy.” He left, closing the door behind him and confident he had mollified Scorpius
somewhat. When he entered the kitchen, Teddy was playing a game of solitaire on
the table. He glanced up.

“Oh, good, I’m bored. I didn’t want to interrupt, Scorpius sounded angry.” Teddy
gathered up the cards, noting Harry’s questioning look at the empty kitchen chair.
“Oh, he went to bed ages ago. Said thanks for the offer.”

“And you should’ve gone to bed too,” Harry said, and sent Teddy on his way before
looking around the empty kitchen and sighing. He made his way to the living room.
Finally, sleep at last. Just as he was about to throw a blanket over the sofa, however, a
cheerful voice came from the fireplace.

“Harry!”

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He turned and looked. Hermione stared at him.

“Oh,” she said lamely. “You look a little...tired. Should I go?”

Harry paused for a moment, then smiled. “No,” he said, “stay. I’ve got so much to tell
you.”

She raised an eyebrow.

____________________

Harry poured a glass of pumpkin juice and glanced at his watch. Teddy would
normally be up and about by now, but he’d probably spent all night talking and
staying up. Harry had gotten up to get a glass of water during the night and heard
low voices coming from Teddy’s room; he was certain he’d heard the phrase ‘as long
as we run like hell it should be fine’ twice and intended to interrogate Teddy when he
woke.

“Harry, hi!”

“Oh, Ginny. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Thought I’d pop by,” Ginny smiled, picking up Harry’s glass and taking a sip.

“You want some toast?”

“Yes, please.”

Harry put a couple of slices into the toaster for her, leaning against the counter and
watching the way sunlight caught on her hair. He had a sudden wave of fondness for

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her. She was refreshing, after last night. Something pure and simple after the
complicated lives of Draco and Scorpius. Ginny was simple, she was straightforward.
She was wearing her white sundress, his favourite. White for pure. White for truth.

“Did I leave my hairbrush behind?” Ginny asked, pinning a lock of hair behind her
ear. “And a book, I think.”

“You always leave something behind,” Harry laughed, shaking his head as she
disappeared down the hall. “Oh — hang on — Ginny!” He bolted after her, but it
was too late. A horrified shout broke the morning peace. Teddy stuck his head out of
his bedroom, which was opposite Harry’s.

“Ginny?” he said sleepily. Harry heard Scorpius call out from the bathroom.

“What’s going on out there?”

“I don’t know,” Teddy replied, rubbing at his eyes. “Harry, what’s going on?”

Harry ignored him, heading straight into his bedroom where, miraculously, Draco
was still sleeping soundly. Ginny was standing in the middle of the room, her eyes
wide and her hand held to her heart. Standing there in her white sundress, barefoot,
she seemed picture perfect, a dramatic pose taken straight from a magazine. For some
reason this annoyed Harry, although he knew he was being ridiculous.

“Ginny,” he whispered, but Ginny didn’t move, her hand still over her heart.

“You’re cheating on me with Draco Malfoy?” she said incredulously. Harry heard
sniggers from the hallway.

“No, Ginny, listen — ”

198
“With Draco Malfoy?”

“Ginny — ”

“Why? Harry, why? For the love of Merlin!”

“Ginny, look — ”

“You’re cheating on me with Draco Malfoy?” Ginny repeated one more time, and
Harry finally snapped.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re fucking non-stop behind your back, every second of the day.
For the past ten years, actually. In fact, we’re married and have a family in Essex
somewhere, so technically I’m cheating on Draco Malfoy with you.”

Ginny looked at him, her mouth hanging open, then turned sharply and stormed out.

Harry sighed and looked over at his bed, where Draco was staring at him, awake at
last.

“I think I may have actually upset her with that last bit,” Harry said.

Despite it all, Draco started laughing.

____________________

Draco made himself a coffee and apologised profusely for last night; Harry forgave
him.

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“I’m sorry about falling asleep too, I assure you I don’t usually go around intruding
on people’s hospitality,” Draco said politely, but Harry brushed him off.

“Not a problem, you had a lot to deal with yesterday,” Harry said, picking up the
phone and dialling Ginny’s number. Draco courteously went to leave but Harry
gestured for him to stay. “I’ll go,” he said, wandering out into the hall and hoping
Ginny would answer.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.”

“Oh, Harry, I don’t want to talk. I’m no good with these Muggle things, which one is
the end call button?”

“I’m not telling. Listen, Ginny, Draco dropped off Scorpius last night and Scorpius
overheard Draco telling me something, and it created a bit of drama. At the end of it
all Draco was too tired to go anywhere and he slept on my bed, whilst I took the
couch.” He paused and waited.

Ginny’s voice came through. “Oh, Merlin. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I should have waited for an explanation,” Ginny said. “I feel like such a fool.”

“Well, I shouldn’t have snapped. I’m sorry too. And the end-call button is the big red
one.”

“I know.” Ginny laughed, a little shakily.

200
“Look, let me make it up to you. Let me take you out tomorrow, we can walk up to
Raspberry Ridge and have a picnic.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Ginny said hesitantly.

“Come on, I’ll bring your favourite pinot noir.”

“Oh...alright.”

“I’ll pick you at one o’clock,” Harry said.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ginny hung up and Harry returned to the kitchen.

Draco raised his eyebrows. “All sorted?”

“Yes, we’ve forgiven each other. Just stupid little misconceptions.”

“Do you have a lot of these little misconceptions?”

“No,” Harry said. “That’s the most emotional I’ve ever seen her.”

Draco said nothing, stirring his tea. Harry looked up at him.

“You know something,” he said slowly.

“If she’s not telling you, I won’t.”

Harry sighed, looking at him.

201
“Why does everyone have to lie?”

“There’s a difference between lying,” Draco said, “and withholding the truth.”

“Says you,” Harry said bitterly. “How’s Scorpius?”

“He came in this morning and told me how much he hates me. Then he wanted to
know what the Battle was like. He said he wanted to know why I saved the life of
Harry Potter.”

Harry smiled, looking downwards at his coffee, tapping his fingers lightly against the
handle. Draco Malfoy, Death-Eater and Voldemort supporter, saving the life of Harry
Potter, leader of the Light.

“Did you have a couple of words with him?” Draco asked.

“I told him his dad saved lives.”

“Only one.”

“Many. Many, many lives. Imagine if I had died right there, my mission
unaccomplished and Voldemort victor and lord of the wizarding world.”

Draco shivered, perhaps unconsciously.

“You made the right choice, Draco,” Harry said softly. “And you know that, and your
son knows that.” He stood up, moving to rinse out his cup.

“You know something too,” Draco said, turning round to look searchingly at Harry.
Harry smiled.

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“We can all have one secret.”

“I’d say you have more than one.”

“You know I was there that night Dumbledore died,” Harry said slowly. During the
trials, every truth had come out. “I stood there and watched your wand shake and
your voice falter. And I knew you weren’t a killer. There wasn’t any hate in my heart
that night, only pity.”

“And do you pity me now?”

“I’m certain if I said yes, you would kill me.”

“That is correct.”

Harry laughed as Teddy stormed in, looking most upset.

“Teddy?” Harry asked, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Teddy stared long and hard at Harry, then burst out, “Scorpius says you have a
second, secret family in Essex!”

Draco sniggered into his tea.

____________________

“Harry, where are you going?”

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Ginny was relaxing on Harry’s couch, flipping through the Daily Prophet and idly
searching through a bowl of Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Bean. It had been just a
few days since their argument but things were already smoothed over.

“I’ve got to drop Teddy off at Scorpius’s.”

“Oh. Is this apple?”

“Grass, I think. Teddy’s eaten all the good ones. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“A couple of hours?” Ginny asked, stretching out her legs lazily. “Why? It’s only a few
minutes away.”

Harry paused. “I’ll probably chat to Malfoy for a bit.”

“What? Why? You two hate each other.”

“Yeah, and we also still squabble over the quidditch pitch and sneak sugar quills in
class,” Harry said; unfortunately this remark was lost on Ginny.

“Well, as long as he doesn’t stay over again,” she sighed. “I hope you washed the
sheets.”

Harry wisely said nothing, heading out the door and shepherding Teddy into the car.

____________________

He returned, unfortunately, to find Hermione and Ginny chatting. Hermione and

Ron often stopped by over the summer and whilst he thoroughly enjoyed their visits,
he was always suspicious to find Ginny and Hermione chatting. Two girls could cause

204
a lot of damage. He greeted them warily as he stepped into the kitchen, putting the
kettle on.

“Oh, hullo, Harry,” Hermione said, smiling. “Where have you been?”

“Malfoy’s,” Ginny said. “He’s always over there.”

“Over at Malfoy’s?” Hermione said disbelievingly. Although Harry had enlightened

Hermione as to the friendship between Teddy and Scorpius (and the newfound
civility between Draco and himself) he had conveniently omitted the fact he was
constantly visiting Draco.

“Yes, he says they have a lot to talk about,” Ginny replied, eyebrows raised. “I wonder
exactly what they have in common.”

“Really?” Hermione asked, her eyes following Harry as he made tea. “What do you
talk about, Harry?”

“The Battle, the joys of taking care of kids, how to get marmalade out of the carpet,
the usual,” Harry said, watching Ginny as she shook her head.

“The Battle? Oh, Harry, you don’t want to talk about that.”

“But I do want to talk about it,” Harry murmured. Ginny frowned.

“Harry, you don’t have to talk about it, you know. Sometimes it’s better just to...forget.
Tell Malfoy to stop cornering you if he tries to bring it up again.”

“He doesn’t corner me,” Harry said a little angrily, placing a cup of tea in front of
Hermione, who accepted it with surprise and took a sip.

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“Harry, this is wonderful. What is it?”

“Raspberry tea,” Harry said, slightly placated.

“Since when have you made raspberry tea?” Hermione smiled at him.

“Malfoy gave me some,” Harry said reluctantly. “It’s his favourite, and I must admit
it’s rather nice — ”

“Having tea-parties with Malfoy, now?” Ginny asked, eyebrows still raised, her tone
incredulous.

Hermione looked at Harry. “It’s lovely, Harry,” she said quietly, taking another sip.
“Tell Malfoy I really like it.”

“I will,” he replied.

Hermione gave Harry a strange look, a look that said Are you sure you’re happy in this
relationship? Harry sent a look back that said quite clearly You were the one that wanted us
together.

“Drink your tea, Ginny, it’s getting cold,” he said aloud.

“No, thanks.” Ginny said. “I’ll get a coffee instead, I think. Less chance of being
poisoned.” She pushed her cup away, smiling as if she understood a joke nobody else
did.

Hermione gave Harry a look.

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 ____________________

The end of summer was looming and Teddy was eager to spend the last of it well. He
and Scorpius had spent nearly the entire week together, plotting and scheming. The
boys wanted to have some quidditch practice over by Whitlam Fields and Harry and
Draco had accompanied them, Harry casting anti-detection spells around the area.
They waited until dusk for minimum vision in case of passing Muggles.

“Don’t fly too high,” Harry called out. “It’s a fairly flat area, if any Muggles spot you
we’ll all be in trouble.”

The boys laughed and flew overhead, dipping and looping around each other. Harry
spread out his robe on the lush grass of a small knoll, leaning back on it to gaze
upwards at the stars appearing in the hazy dusk.

“Only one more week until term commences,” Draco said, lying back lazily.

“Don’t remind me, I have to leave on Sunday.”

They lay in comfortable silence, watching as the stars appeared. There was bright
Venus, shining white and lovely. There was Orion’s Belt, a string of stars. There was
the Milky Way, like a handful of sand tossed into the sky. The two shadows of the
boys danced across the sky, looping past the moon.

“I’ve got something for you,” Harry said softly. Draco glanced across at him, their
eyes meeting through the long blades of grass. Harry passed over a piece of cloth.
He’d cut up one of his old robes years ago to wrap up unused glasses and whatnot,
but now the bit of old clothing held something infinitely more precious.

207
“My wand,” Draco whispered, holding it above him. It was still polished, reflecting all
the stars above them.

“It took thirteen years,” Harry said. “But it got back to its rightful owner, in the end.”

Draco rolled it around hesitantly in his hand, then pointed it at Harry. “Allegra.”

“What was that?” Harry asked.

“A calming spell. Did it – did it work?” Draco asked.

Harry didn’t know why, but he smiled gently and lied. “Yes.”

Draco took a deep breath and they both gazed up silently at the eternal night sky.

____________________

“I pray for the moon to forever wane

I plead for the stars to fade
I wish for the night to never return
I fear what the darkness had made.”

Draco looked up in surprise.

“Did you write that?” Harry asked, handing the paper over to him. He’d remembered
it since the day he’d discovered it on top of Scorpius’s schoolbooks, and had written it
down. It struck a chord with him. He had found it while cleaning out his trunk. The
quidditch practice a few days ago was the last of the summer activities; today, the
boys had been forced to undergo mundane activities such as labelling their new

208
textbooks and organising stationary. Harry had finally set to the task of making his
own preparations for school.

Draco hesitated, halfway through washing out some cups. Harry absently watched
the soapy suds slide slowly through his fingers, running in long rivers down his wrists.

“No,” Draco said. “It’s from a song I play.”

“Really? Got the CD?”

“No,” Draco said again, slowly. “I mean, I play it. As in, on an instrument.”

“Piano?”

“No.”

“Violin?”

“No.” Draco looked thoroughly embarrassed; Scorpius came in and grabbed a

handful of biscuits, looking pleased with himself.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Harry said.

“Oh, no, I honestly...I don’t really play that well, really...”

“He does concerts, performances, all that,” Scorpius said to Harry, inspecting an
Arrowroot. “Hey Dad, how old are these?”

“Shouldn’t be stale yet,” Draco said quickly. “Shouldn’t you be outside in the fresh air
or destroying some prized possession of mine?”

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“Performances?” Harry asked, amazed.

“Yeah, and he does stuff for CDs sometimes, like when an artist needs
accompaniment or whatever,” Scorpius said, stuffing three Arrowroots into his mouth
and leaving, much to the relief of Draco. Harry crossed his arms.

“Do I get to hear a free sample song?”

“No, I’m really not that good...”

“Scorpius gave up your game. Don’t be modest,” Harry said, but Draco shook his
head.

“No. It’s...I don’t like to play in front of people.”

“Oh right, but you do performances or play for CDs,” Harry retorted.

“That’s different. That’s professional.”

“And I’m...?”

“You’re different. You’re...personal.” Draco refused to look at him and Harry decided
to let it drop for now.

“Okay. Well, I should get going,” Harry said. “I’ve got to start packing.” He paused.
“Do you miss Scorpius, when he’s away at Hogwarts? Or is it a welcome break?”

Draco gave him a knowing smile. “Sometimes I really miss him. Sometimes I really
don’t.”

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“I’ll see you on the first,” Harry said, laughing. “I’ll be dropping Teddy off, then I’ll
floo up later.”

“See you on the first,” Draco replied; his hand slipped and the cup he was holding
fell. Harry brought up his wand automatically and pointed it; the cup balanced
delicately, a few inches from the floor.

“Seeker’s reflexes,” Draco said softly.

“Yeah, still got it,” Harry said.

“Wordless magic, too.”

“Yeah. Powerful wizard, et cetera, et cetera. I just use it to scare Teddy sometimes,”
Harry said. “It’s a good accompaniment to scary bedtime stories.”

Draco laughed. “Success hasn’t spoiled you.”

“Oh, I was spoiled long before.” Harry smiled, then shouted over his shoulder.
“Teddy! Get down here, it’s already six!”

“Can’t I stay the night?”

“No, you can’t. You’re still to pack anything, and you’ve got school the day after
tomorrow!”

“Third year! I’ll get to boss the little firsts and seconds around,” Scorpius laughed,
trampling down the stairs. “Come on, let’s go.”

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He paused, aware of them both staring at him.

“Oh, oops,” he said, and changed quickly back into Teddy. “Sorry. It’s really easy
now, Harry, I hardly have to concentrate at all!”

“That’s fantastic, Teddy,” Harry said encouragingly, and Teddy grinned, making his
hair electric blue.

“I can do bubblegum pink hair too. Gran told me it was Mum’s favourite.”

Harry laughed, remembering how Tonks would entertain them at dinnertimes with
her repertoire of noses and faces.

“I’d say so too. Come on, let’s go.”

Teddy put his jacket on and hollered upstairs to Scorpius.

“See you on the express, Scorpius!”

“If you get there before me, make sure you get the best compartment!” Scorpius
called back. “Kick any stupid firsties out if necessary!”

“Scorpius!” Draco said, his voice sounding outraged, but Harry caught a tiny smile
lingering on his lips. Whilst Teddy busied himself putting on his shoes and making
sure he had everything, Harry murmured to Draco.

“So, everything alright with you and Scorpius?”

“Yes. I think he’s slowly forgiving me.” Draco smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

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“You’re welcome.”

There was a sudden thunderclap and they both looked out the window at the grey,
stormy sky, the rain suddenly pouring down.

“That’s it then,” Harry said. “The end of summer.”

And he didn’t know why, but suddenly he wanted the rain to go away, for August to
linger. He wanted summer to stay forever.

____________________

Teddy ducked through the rain, laughing as his trunk bounced along the pavement.
Harry sped along after him, only to bump straight into Draco Malfoy; Draco
stumbled backwards and Harry reached out and caught him, laughing.

“Sorry, I wasn’t watching!”

“This rain is terrible!” Draco shouted back over the noise of the rain, but contrary to
his statement he was laughing, apparently quite enjoying the storm. His coat was
soaked in Harry’s hands and he told Draco this.

“You’re absolutely soaked, where’s your umbrella?”

“Same place as yours!” Draco laughed and Harry let go of his coat, smiling as they
dashed together to the train station. Platform 9 ¾ was comfortably warm and they
stood together, laughing and breathing on their hands, trying to warm up again.

“Where’s your little devil?”

213
“With your little demon,” Draco replied, smiling. His eyes were bright and clear, like
the stars he and Harry had stared at so many summer nights ago, and his lips seemed
permanently locked in a soft smile.

“You look really good, really happy,” Harry told him.

“Yes, you know how you just wake up in those good moods?”

“No. That is a fascinating and rare ability,” Harry replied, and Draco laughed again.
Harry couldn’t help but smile, as though happiness was contagious. Suddenly he felt
lighter then he had in weeks. He felt bright, truthful, happy and confident.

“I think I’ve caught your good mood,” he told Draco, who held up his hands,
laughing.

“Sorry. There’s a vaccine – it’s called Scorpius.”

They broke into laughter again and Teddy ran up, reaching up to give Harry a quick
hug.

“Hey Harry, I’m going now. I’ll see you in class! Tell me what we’re studying this year,
I’ll give my friends a heads-up.”

“I don’t think so,” Harry admonished. “You can learn as you go along, same as
them.”

Teddy just laughed and raced back to the train with Scorpius, the two of them
ducking and weaving through the crowd.

“I’d better go,” Harry said. “I promised McGonagall I’d arrive ahead to help with the
first years.”

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“I’ll see you round, Potter,” Draco grinned, and held out his hand.

Harry glanced down at it, then returned Draco’s smile and shook hands with him,
placing both his hands over Draco’s cold hand.

“See you, Malfoy,” he replied, and then he was gone.

Draco stared down at his palm for a moment, feeling it tingle from Harry’s
unexpectedly warm hands.

He smiled, perhaps a little sadly, then prepared for the long drive home.

____________________

Harry led the first years into the Great Hall this time, smiling a little at their pale
faces. Some were excited, some were apprehensive, some looked as though they were
about to throw up any second.

“You’ll be fine,” he assured them, making sure they were all in alphabetical order
before the Sorting Hat began. He sat back in his usual seat at the staff table, next to
Neville.

“I see you’ve returned for more soul-destroying suffering,” Neville grinned.

“Yes,” Harry said, hiding a smile as Scorpius waved excitedly to Harry. Teddy nudged
Scorpius and Harry could just imagine him muttering ‘be cool!’.

“Teddy’s looking well,” Neville observed.

215
“Yes. He’d done really well. I’m proud of him.”

“And so you should be. He’s one of the most attentive and hardworking students I’ve
had the pleasure of teaching.”

Harry smiled. “Yes, he’ll do well. I’m not sure about Scorpius though.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine. They all find their way, in the end,” Neville replied.

Harry found those words strangely comforting.

____________________

Hermione visited him on Halloween, whilst the students had their short break.
Strictly speaking, she was there on business, delivering some Healer potions to
Madam Pomfrey, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to catch up.

“Settling back into it again?” she asked, looking around his office and smiling,
inspecting the newspaper clippings.

“Yes. Assignments, assignments, assignments. There’s far too many.”

“Stop setting so many, then!” Hermione laughed.

“Yes, but I’ve got to keep them on their toes.” Harry began inspecting a newly-arrived
Foe-Glass whilst Hermione marvelled at the high pile of essays. She frowned and
picked up an envelope, a letter folded inside and apparently unsent.

D. Malfoy
Forty-Two Roseneath Rd,

216
Tulip Hill.

She put it back down and picked up a stack of paper next to it, flipping through:

Dear Harry,
They all find their way in the end, you say...

Dear Harry,
I’m glad to hear Scorpius hasn’t been up to too much trouble...

Dear Harry,
I missed Clearwater’s Howler this week, I hope she’s not ill, send my regards...

Dear Harry,
Enclosed is some raspberry tea, as requested...

Dear Harry,
Don’t let the bastards get you down, if I were you I’d...

Dear Harry,

Dear Harry,

Dear Harry —

There were so many of them, reams of paper, all in the same elegant script.
Hermione stared.

“Are these from Draco Malfoy?” she asked in amazement.

“Oh – yes. We’ve sort of started a correspondence,” Harry said, glancing up from
where he was kneeling on the floor, adjusting the Foe Glass.
217
“Harry, there’s so many! You must send letters at least once a day!”

“No,” Harry laughed. “Usually once or twice a week. Twice if Scorpius is up to no

good.”

Hermione turned the letters over, seeing Draco’s sign-off; it varied.

Thanks again for the advice,

Draco.

Awaiting your reply,

Draco.

Hoping this finds you well,

Draco.

“You two sound like good friends,” she murmured. Harry stared up at her, apparently
quite surprised.

“You’re right,” he said slowly. “I suppose we are friends. I never noticed, but...”

“What do you write about?” she asked. “If you don’t mind me asking?”

“No, not at all. We write about everything, really. The Battle, our old days at
Hogwarts, our pasts and presents and futures. The best way to raise kids. How to
disguise vegetables in meals. What we were like growing up. I update him on recent
Wizard inventions, he sends me different tea samples.”

Hermione was smiling at him. “I’m glad you put your past behind you.”

218
“So am I. I suppose I could get hung up on it all, but when it comes down to it he was
just a terrified teenager, in over his head.” Harry hesitated, then looked up at
Hermione, apparently deciding whether to confide in her or not. In the end, he
seemed to deem her trustworthy, as he spoke. “He’s very different to Ginny,” Harry
said slowly. “The past hurts, but he doesn’t mind talking about it. And he’s...mature.”
He looked up at her. “Does this sound bad?”

“No, go on,” Hermione said gently.

“It’s just, sometimes I feel like I’m speaking to a seventeen-year-old, with Ginny. Like
she’s regressed, somehow. And she — well, she doesn’t seem to care whether I talk
about the Battle or not. She just smiles and shakes her head as though the whole thing
is just some silly misunderstanding. I don’t...I don’t understand. It’s as though
something changed in her mind, or...I don’t know. Maybe she’s just grown up, or...”
He caught Hermione’s expression. “You know something.”

She sighed. “Do you remember how I dropped in that one time, when Scorpius was
over? And Draco arrived to pick him up, and we sort of chatted politely. But I sort of
mentioned something about Ginny, and he...well...we both agreed that you shouldn’t
find out from other people.”

“Hermione — ”

“Ginny should tell you. I’m really disappointed she hasn’t,” Hermione said, standing
up. “I’m sorry, Harry, but I think I was wrong about her. She’s not the person I
thought she was.”

She got up and left, and Harry sat back and sighed, before getting out his letter to
Draco and re-reading it, considering adding a postscript demanding information.
However he knew that in the end, Draco would just repeat that it wasn’t his place.

219
Draco was like that, Harry mused. When Ginny said yes, she meant yes or no or
maybe. When Draco said yes he meant yes, and when he said no, Harry knew he
shouldn’t waste his breath asking again.

He sighed and left for the owlery.

____________________

Two days later, he held a letter in his hands, musing over the fact that while he found
writing to Draco a thoroughly enjoyable and rambling experience, the prospect of
replying to Ginny left him with feelings of self-doubt and listlessness. This latest letter
was perhaps the most worrying of all; as Harry scanned it he caught the phrases
‘family’, ‘time to settle down’ and ‘commitment’.

He glanced at it for a moment longer, re-reading it, weighing up his options and the
potential responses.

In the end he picked up the quill and wrote hesitantly, his hand inking in empty words
that his mind did not believe.

____________________

He went home for Christmas. Teddy was overjoyed.

“I thought you had all those assignments!”

“They can wait. I want to celebrate Christmas with my godson.”

220
“Well, it’s going to be a damn miserable Christmas if there isn’t anything book-
shaped under the tree,” Teddy said cynically. He’d be angling for a copy of the latest
Hogwarts: A History all year.

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t,” Harry teased, but Teddy just grinned. He knew
Harry would get it for him. “Anyway, Ginny’ll be coming over too, so — ”

“Oh, Ginny’s coming round? On Christmas day?” Teddy asked, sounding

disappointed.

“Yes, and you’ll be very nice to her.”

“I always am,” Teddy sighed.

Harry gave him a look. “What exactly don’t you like about Ginny?”

“I don’t trust her,” Teddy said truthfully.

Harry ignored an unsettling feeling in his stomach, unlocking his front door and
bustling Teddy inside.

____________________

“Cherry Mistmas!”

“How many have you had to drink, Ginny?” Harry laughed, taking her champagne
flute away from her.

“Oh, just a couple,” Ginny giggled. “Thank you so much for this necklace Harry, it’s
gorgeous.” She played with the fine gold chain, the diamonds glinting in the firelight.

221
“Anything for you,” Harry said, kissing her; Teddy made gagging noises from the
corner.

“If you’re going to get all mushy, I’m going round to Scorpius’s. I promised I’d drop
in.”

“Alright. Are you going to cycle there or d’you want a lift?”

“Yes, I’ll ride my bike. Just let me fit my snow chains,” Teddy said sarcastically.

“Alright,” Harry sighed, getting up, but Ginny stopped him.

“You should relax, Harry, it’s Christmas Day!” she admonished him. “I’ll take Teddy
along with a Side-Apparition.”

“Alright,” Harry said, settling back down. Teddy looked disappointed.

“You don’t want to come along, Harry?”

“No. And remember we’re going to your grandmother’s at four, so you’d better be
back by then.”

“Okay, sure.”

“And give this to Draco.”

“What is it?” Teddy said, then gave a cry of happiness as he recognised the silver
envelope. “Wicked, are you having another big New Years bash?”

222
“Yes. Scorpius is welcome to come along too, we’ll just put all the kids down your
end,” Harry said, referring to Teddy’s bedroom.

“Wicked,” Teddy breathed, and he didn’t even pull a face as Ginny took his hand and
they Disapparated with a light pop.

____________________

It happened on Boxing Day. Why, why, why? Why did she have to tell him? She had
been talking lately of marriage and commitment and Harry had taken the hint. He’d
spent ages picking out the ring, thinking about when to present it. He didn’t tell
Hermione or Ron. He had the feeling they’d both advise him not to do it. Even Ron
seemed to know something he didn’t, his face becoming troubled when Harry spoke
of a future with Ginny.

He’d meant to do it on Christmas, but they hadn’t had a moment alone. Now it was
afternoon, the day after Christmas, and Ginny and him were sitting by the fire,
wrapped in throw-rugs, drinking the last of the champagne and laughing over old
Hogwarts photos Harry had found. It was perfect, apart from Teddy roaming around
looking bored.

“Oh, look! Mary Wentworth, she was in my class...oh, I remember she had these
gorgeous long plaits that all the boys would dunk in the inkwells...”

“Hang on, Ginny, I’ll be back in a moment,” Harry said, and took Teddy aside.
“Do you want to go to Scorpius’s?”

“What? Sure.” Teddy looked suspiciously at Harry and Harry sighed, knowing he
couldn’t keep it from Ted.

223
“I’m going to propose to Ginny,” Harry whispered. “I just want it to be really
romantic...”

“Oh.” Teddy looked neither happy nor sad. “Okay.”

“I’ll Side-Apparate you there, alright?”

Harry Apparated to Draco’s home and waited until he saw Teddy being welcomed
inside by Scorpius, before Disapparating again, shaking the snow from his cloak and
joining Ginny by the fire again.

“Oh, there you are! Harry, I found an old picture of Penelope! Just look at her, in her
Head Girl uniform...remember how Percy used to court her? Oh, I still feel awkward
about Percy. The way he deserted us...Mum cried for weeks.”

“But he came back,” Harry said. “He fought in the Battle.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” Ginny said, looking blank for a moment.

“Listen, Ginny,” Harry said, his mouth drying up. “I...I’m really happy with you.
And...I always want to be with you. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but...I
really do want us to work.”

“Oh?” Ginny shut the album, looking at him, her expression growing curious.

“I’m ready to really commit to us,” Harry went on, “and I’m hoping you are too.”
With that, he took out the small velvet box and opened it, revealing the expensive
ring. Ginny gasped.

“Oh, Merlin — oh, Harry...I...I’m really...”

224
He looked at her, his heart banging in his chest. He was expecting her to say yes
straightaway, after dropping so many hints about it. Why the hesitation?

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” he asked in concern.

“Yes, of course, but...I...I need to tell you something. I want us to have a clean start,
without any...I mean...”

“What is it?” he asked, all happy feelings gone. Dread settled in his stomach.

“Harry, you have to understand that after you broke up with me — around your
twenty-sixth birthday...”

“Yes?” Harry swallowed.

“I...” Ginny bit her lip.

“What? Ginny, what is it?”

She stared into the flickering flames, her face troubled. “I...I had my memories
modified.”

“Your memories...modified?”

“Yes. I don’t remember anything about the Battle, or anything around that time,”
Ginny said, her voice heavy, not looking at Harry. “I just wanted things to go back to
the way they used to be...who wants to remember a war? I thought it might be better
this way...”

225
Harry stood up, feeling dazed, as if he’d just been hit.

“Harry, don’t — Harry!” Ginny cried.

But he had Disapparated.

____________________

He Apparated directly to Draco’s front garden, where Scorpius and Teddy were
industriously building a snowman with a carrot mohawk. He walked straight up to
Teddy and grabbed him by the hand.

“Hey! Harry, let go! Harry!” Teddy tried to tug his gloved hand away from Harry’s
vicelike grip. “What’s going on?”

“You’re going to your grandmother’s.”

“What, now?”

“Yes,” Harry said in the same flat tone.

“Why? I don’t want to, Scorpius said I could stay the night — let go! Stop it! You’re
scaring me!” Teddy tried to pull away; Scorpius was standing in the background,
looking afraid.

“What’s going on? Hey, sir, let go of Ted — ”

“Harry? Are you alright?” Draco’s soft voice brought Harry back to earth. He let go
of Teddy, who rubbed his arm and looked up at Harry.

226
“She said no, didn’t she?” Teddy said in a small voice.

Harry shook his head mutely, not trusting himself to speak.

“She said yes? She said maybe? She said she hates you?” Teddy tried.

“Why don’t you two finish your snowman?” Draco said, touching Harry’s shoulder.

“No. I’m not going til I know Harry’s okay,” Teddy said resolutely. “What’d she do to
you? Did she throw a curse at you? Did she attack you? Did she lie to you?”

“Worse,” Harry said at last. “She told me the truth.”

Teddy fell back unhappily as Draco led Harry inside, watching as the two
disappeared into Draco’s house.

“He’ll be alright,” Scorpius said. “Dad’ll take care of him.”

Teddy looked back at him, his face pale and anxious. “I hope so,” he said.

The two boys stood side by side in the snow for a long time.

____________________

They sat at the dining table, opposite each other. A poinsettia was in the middle of
the table, surrounded with other Christmas debris: a pair of scissors, a roll of tape, a
half-eaten bag of éclairs. There was a long silence which Draco wisely chose not to
break, until Harry finally spoke up.

“You.”

227
“What?” Draco was startled.

“You.” Harry looked up at him, his eyes filled with fury. “You knew! You even told
Hermione! You went around bloody telling everyone except me!”

“Harry — ”

“Just like school! Everyone knowing except me...always, always being kept out of the
loop,” he added, unable to stop the bitterness weighing his words. “I suppose you
thought it was funny, everyone else knowing while I didn’t have a single bloody
clue...”

“What do you think this is, Hogwarts again? Don’t tell me you’ve had your memories
modified too,” Draco snapped, and Harry had drawn his wand before he even
realised he was doing it. Draco didn’t seem the least bit perturbed.

“Tea?”

“No,” Harry snarled.

“Such a temper,” Draco said mildly. “It’s a good thing we’ve always gotten along so
well.”

Harry stared at him for a moment, then started laughing.

____________________

“You really need to talk to her.”

228
“Yeah.”

It was five hours later and Harry was morosely stirring his fifth cup of tea.

“She broke my heart.”

“It happens,” Draco shrugged.

“Why? Why would she do it?”

“That’s a question only she can answer.”

“Thanks, O Wise One,” Harry said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome.”

“What about you?” Harry asked. “You’ve never changed your memories. Why not?”

Draco shrugged again. “I don’t know. I suppose I think experiences and memories
build a person. I wouldn’t be the same person if I forgot those experiences.”

“Exactly,” Harry said slowly. “She’s not the same person. She’s so different. I can’t
talk to her.”

Draco tactfully said nothing.

“That’s it, then,” Harry said. “I’m not...I’m...that’s it. Enough. I think we both need
to move on.”

“Are you sure?” Draco asked, his eyes searching Harry’s.

229
“Yes. I am,” Harry said, certainty suddenly filling his veins. “I’m tired. I’ve had
enough.”

“That’s a pretty big decision,” Draco said, hesitating. “Less than ten hours ago, you
were proposing to her.”

Harry shrugged. “Things fall apart.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Draco said.

____________________

His phone kept ringing and, at long last, he answered.

“Hello?”

“Harry, it’s me.” Ginny’s uncertain voice came through. Harry sighed and let the
silence go on.

“Harry, we need to talk. Listen — ”

“Ginny, not now. Not today. Give me some space.”

“No, Harry, I think you should come home. Where are you?”

“I’m alright,” Harry said. “I’m fine, that’s all you need to know.”

“Harry, I really want to talk.”

230
Harry hesitated, but eventually replied. “And I really don’t.”

“Harry, are you sure you’re alright?” Ginny asked.

“Yes. I’m fine. Totally okay,” Harry replied, and he was. There was a calm before the
storm, and there was a calm afterwards, when the rain gently eased and the world
was grey and silent. That was how he felt, slow and silent. Something in his life had
faded away, and that was perfectly alright.

“Harry, you shouldn’t be bottling up your emotions — ”

“I’m not.”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Ginny said. “Come on, just go home...”

“I won’t be home tonight,” Harry said, making a split decision. “I’ll talk with you
tomorrow.”

He hung up and turned round, bumping straight into Draco. His expression was
unreadable.

“I’ll get Scorpius to set another place at the table,” he told Harry.

____________________

“Are there any carrots in this?”

“Just eat it.”

“Because I really don’t like carrots.”

231
A pause.

“What’s this? This looks like a carrot — ”

Harry could see Draco struggling not to yell at his son in front of their guests, and he
stepped in.

“Scorpius, if you don’t like it you can go cook something else for dinner,” Harry said.
“Your choice. Now quit complaining.”

“Oh, sir, you can’t tell me off,” Scorpius said.

“Yes I can. I’m your professor. Telling you off comes naturally to me. What’s the
correct incantation to dispel a Bogart?”

“Oh, me!” Teddy’s hand shot up, instantly going into school-mode.

“Riddikulus,” Scorpius said quickly. “Ask another one, I bet I’ll get it!”

“Alright. How does a Kappie kill its prey?”

“It lures them into marshlands,” Teddy said quickly, much to Scorpius’s
disappointment.

“Okay, another,” Harry said. “What colour is a Kappie?”

“Oh, I know — ” Scorpius gestured excitedly and he ended up with a sleeveful of

pasta.

232
“Scourgify,” Harry said casually, and with a gentle wave of his wand the stains
disappeared.

“Brown!” Teddy said triumphantly.

“Oh, sir, that was wicked. Wasn’t that wicked, Ted?”

“What, a cleaning spell? Not really,” Teddy said dismissively. “I’m right, aren’t I
Harry? Brown?”

“Greeny-grey, actually,” Harry laughed, to Teddy’s disappointment.

“Oh well. That was really delicious, Mr Malfoy, may I please be excused?” Teddy
asked; Draco nodded and Teddy took his plate to the sink, rinsing it off.

“It’d be nice if you had manners like that,” Draco commented to Scorpius.

“Yeah, it’s a crying shame,” Scorpius said, inspecting a possible bit of carrot.

Harry tried valiantly to hide his smile.

____________________

Draco hesitated as Harry sat in the lounge, listening to the boys bickering over which
movie to watch.

“You need something to take your mind off her,” he said quietly. Harry nodded,
gazing into the distance. Draco hesitated again. “Would you mind listening to me
practice a piece? I’ve got to go to a recording tomorrow and I wouldn’t mind having a
critical listener.”

233
Harry looked up at him, surprised.

“Yes,” he said. “That would be wonderful.”

Draco led the way upstairs. The first door on the landing clearly led to Scorpius’s
room; it had ‘KEEP OUT’ and ‘WARNING: NUCLEAR SITE’ stickers all over it.
A second door further along presumably led to Draco’s room. But there was only a
single door on the other side of the hallway, and it was this one Draco unlocked and
gestured for Harry to enter.

The room was spacious and in one corner was unused furniture, draped in white
sheets. The large windows had no curtains, showcasing a beautiful view over the fields
of Tulip Hill. In one corner was a mess of music sheets, a well-worn chair, and couple
of broken music stands. In pride of the place was a large stand holding a beautiful
cello. Draco closed the door behind Harry and allowed him to gaze around in silence.

“You’re a cellist?”

“Yes. My father had a fit. He wanted me to learn fencing but after many tantrums he
relented and paid for cello lessons instead,” Draco said, smiling faintly

Harry wandered over to the music stand and saw a stubby pencil balanced on the
stand and a sheet of music paper, music notes filling half of it.

“You compose?”

“Not often, and not well,” Draco shrugged. “I’ll have to warm her up.”

“Her?”

234
“My cello.”

“Oh.”

Harry watched as Draco settled himself onto the chair and balanced the cello
delicately on its endpoint, running the long bow across the strings and going through
scales. Harry could feel the deep and beautiful thrum of the cello through the
floorboards. Draco went through all the scales a few times, then paused and began
sifting through music, eventually finding the piece he wanted and settling it on the
stand.

And he played.

Harry was entranced. He found himself mesmerised by Draco’s hands; between the
pegbox and the neck, his fingers moved gracefully across the strings. Sometimes they
danced lightly and quickly, so fast that Harry thought he should surely slip up (though
he never did). Sometimes his fingers stayed still for a long time as he drew out a long
and melancholy note. His other hand, resting on the bow, was always adjusting itself;
Harry watched the strong tendons in his wrist change and flex as he applied different
pressures and changed the movement of the bow.

He never took his eyes off the music, not until he had completed the last and longest
note. Then he looked up, briefly, at Harry.

“That was really beautiful,” Harry said honestly. “I loved watching your hands
move.”

“Room for improvement?” Draco asked briskly, preparing to put the cello away.

235
“Absolutely none.”

“I messed up the bit in the middle, I had to improvise until I found my place again,”
Draco said critically.

“It was perfect.”

“And at the end, I didn’t use my index finger for the A, I ended up having to do a lot
of fancy work to get my fingers back into position in time for C,” Draco said.

“It was perfect,” Harry insisted. “Absolutely perfect.”

And at last, Draco allowed himself a small smile.

“I suppose,” he said, “it was half-decent.”

Harry shook his head and laughed.

____________________

Draco made up the couch downstairs whilst Harry hung around and ate his way
through some leftover Christmas snacks. It looked as though Draco and Scorpius had
made sugar biscuits and iced them; Harry could tell only too clearly who had iced
which biscuits. There were green Christmas trees with tiny iced baubles and thin lines
of brightly-coloured icing, and angels with yellow wings and creases iced across their
sweeping dresses – only too clearly the work of Draco’s focussed eyes and careful
hands. On the other hand, there were stars and bells energetically splashed with
random blobs of colour. One bell looked as though someone had just mixed all the
colours together, producing an odd grey shade, and dunked the biscuit in it.

236
“He got bored towards the end.”

Harry smiled and looked up at Draco. “Bit of a short attention span.”

Draco snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Harry moved towards the couch and Draco raised an eyebrow.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To...bed?” Harry asked, confused.

“I’m taking the couch. You’re going upstairs.”

Draco ignored all of Harry’s indignant protests.

“Absolutely not. You’re a guest, I’m not about to put you on the couch.”

“I’m not a guest, I just imposed,” Harry tried, but Draco was having none of it and
Harry found himself led upstairs, whereupon Draco pushed open his bedroom door
and waited for Harry to walk in.

“If you need anything, help yourself,” Draco said, and with that he clicked the door
closed and walked away.

Harry listened to his footsteps fade and looked around him. He was expecting a green
room, a Slytherin green, but it wasn’t. It was painted in neutral tones, with soft
lighting, and that’s what Harry decided he liked the best, the soft glow. As with the
rest of the house, there was a singular and large window, the curtains yet to be drawn.
He walked to the window, staring out. At first he saw his reflection staring back at

237
him, but when he focussed he saw the lights of houses below in the valley, gradually
petering out into the darkness of the hills behind them. And where the darkness of
the hills ended, the brightness of the sky took over, the stars cold and white high
above him.

He stayed there for a long time, looking out at the beautiful world. Then he turned
and closed the soft curtains, taking in Draco’s room. It was very simple and minimal:
bed, bedside table, dresser, writing desk. There was a laptop and a notepad on the
writing desk; Harry glanced at the notepad and caught sight of familiar handwriting.
Dear Harry. So it was here Draco sat, facing the beautiful view over the valley, penning
his letters to Harry.

Harry walked away from the writing desk. Draco’s room held few other things besides
the furniture. There was a small alcove built into the wall above Draco’s bed, which
he had lined with books, all which looked very battered and well-thumbed. They were
stacked higgledy-piggledy, balancing precariously on each other, and Harry examined
the titles. Bleak House, Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, Snow Falling On Cedars, Heart of
Darkness, The Lighthouse. Draco was certainly well-read, he couldn’t deny it. However,
the book he was currently reading was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Harry
had to smile. It was oddly endearing, Draco’s book collection; something that made
the youngest Death-Eater an ordinary person. Human after all.

Harry smiled to himself and stripped down to his boxers, folding his clothes neatly
and placing them over the chair by the end table. He placed his mobile phone, wallet
and keys and, lastly, spectacles, upon Draco’s bedside table and slipped between the
covers, his head sinking into the soft pillows. And within five minutes, he had drifted
contentedly into a deep sleep, the best he’d had for a long time.

____________________

238
He woke up, blinking. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, soft and yellow, and he
blindly felt around for his spectacles.

When he could see again, he glanced at the clock on the bedside table, then did a
double take. Midday? Already? It couldn’t be. He never slept that long. Someone
knocked at the door and he called out tentatively.

“Yes?”

“May I come in?”

“Yeah.” Harry said as the door opened. “Sorry, I never sleep this long usually. I guess
I was just really tired last night.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Draco said casually. “I’m sorry to wake you, I just need my
wallet and keys.”

“You didn’t wake me,” Harry assured him.

“Do you want a shower? I know I can never wake up properly without a shower,”
Draco confessed, and Harry smiled.

“Yeah, that’d be good. Where’re the towels?”

“In the cupboard under the bathroom sink,” Draco said. “Help yourself to soap and
shampoo. I don’t have conditioner, it does terrible things to my hair.”

Harry laughed. “Thanks. I’ll try to make it quick.”

239
“Don’t worry about it, everyone else has had their shower. Take as long as you want,”
Draco said, examining his wallet critically as Harry got out of bed, sleepily wandering
past Draco and out into the hallway.

Draco remained standing by the dresser for a long moment, flipping through the
wallet until he found the receipt he wanted. He turned to leave, then glanced back at
the room one more time and impulsively went to the window. He always loved the
view from this room best.

His breath misted across the cold glass, showing fingerprints imprinted on the glass.
Harry had stood here last night and gazed at the stars. Draco did not wipe the
fingerprints away. He wanted proof. Proof Harry had been here, standing and
looking at the stars, as Draco did night after night. Proof Harry too was drawn to the
night sky, that he loved its beauty.

Proof Harry was human, after all.

____________________

Ginny was smiling, wearing her white summer dress even though it was the middle of
winter. Although Harry’s house was comfortably warm, he felt the need to throw a
blanket round her shoulders.

“Hey,” Ginny said quietly, standing barefoot in his living room.

“You must be mad, wearing that in the middle of winter,” Harry said, gesturing at
her dress.

240
“What, this? Oh, yes, but it’s my absolute favourite,” Ginny said, smiling. Harry said
nothing, spinning one of his keychains around. Ginny looked up at him, smiling
hopefully, brightly, but when he refused to meet her eyes, her smile faded a little.
“Look, Harry, I can understand why you’re so angry with me. But honestly, I must
have been a mess after the Battle. Why else would I take all my memories away?”

You weren’t a mess, Harry thought. You were grim and determined and strong and steady. But
now...

He watched her, twirling in the middle of the floor, her white dress billowing around
her. Now she was as thin and unsubstantial as a puff of breath, as a white dandelion
caught on a breeze, tumbling along.

“I love it, I feel seventeen again,” Ginny said. “Harry, we could be so happy.” She
looked up at him, smiling. A seventeen-year-old in love all over again. He looked at
her, seeing her bright, brown eyes brimming with youth, her copper-coloured hair
flying free as though she was a child, her red lips curved into a perfect smile.
“Well?” Ginny said impatiently, and he looked at her, his face softening. Ginny
laughed then, bunching her lovely white dress in her fists, overcome with hope and
confidence. But Harry made no movement, no motion.

“Harry?” she asked, a tendril of doubt wrapping around her voice. She let go of her
dress.

“White doesn’t suit you,” he said quietly, and left.

____________________

“I think Harry’s broken up with Ginny,” Teddy said, pouring a bowl of cereal. Draco
glanced at him.

241
“Good,” Scorpius said with satisfaction, sneaking another teaspoon of sugar over his
cornflakes. “No offence, but I don’t like her, she’s fucking weird.”

“I don’t like her either,” Teddy said quickly. “But she’s alright. She was always trying
hard to be friends with me.”

“That’s what I mean, she tries too hard,” Scorpius said. “Did you hear them
fighting?”

“No,” Teddy said. “Ginny said a lot of things, but Harry didn’t say anything. Except
at the very end, and he said white didn’t suit her.”

“That’s a weird thing to say,” Scorpius scoffed, sneaking another teaspoon.

Teddy shrugged. “I suppose.”

Draco said nothing, removing the sugarbowl well out of Scorpius’s reach.

White doesn’t suit you.

He heard the words clearly as though he’d witnessed the entire scene. He could hear
Harry’s quiet, firm voice. Harry wouldn’t yell. Harry knew when to shout and when
to whisper, and Draco liked that.

____________________

“I’m sorry about you and Ginny.”

“Are you? I’m not,” Harry said, eating one of the last candy canes from Draco’s tree.

242
“Well, I’m sorry you had to experience the turmoil and hurt of a broken
relationship.”

“Experiences build the person,” Harry said, echoing Draco’s words said so long ago.
“I think it’s made me think differently. And that’s good.”

“Think differently?” Draco asked.

“You know, it’s bad luck if you leave your Christmas tree up over New Year’s,” Harry
pointed out.

“I’m not a superstitious person.”

Harry laughed. “I am. I look for four-leaf clovers. I always look for the first star of the
night...”

“That’s not superstition,” Draco said. “That’s like looking for the first leaves of
spring, or the kindest smile in an unfamiliar place.”

“The first star is always Venus,” Harry said. “The first leaf of spring always comes
from the poplar. Who does the kindest smile in the room belong to?”

Draco said nothing. Harry negotiated the tricky hook-shaped part of the candy cane.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Forgive me and my whimsical questions.” He paused. “We’re
nearly up to New Year’s Eve.”

“And you’ll be going back to Hogwarts,” Draco said softly.

“Yes. I’ll be going back to Hogwarts,” Harry repeated.

243
They stood in silence for a while.

Draco wished all the spring leaves to never return, for the poplar to be buried under
snow, for Venus to die away into darkness; but yet they lived whilst a smile ceased.

____________________

Harry leant his forehead against the cool glass of the car window, watching the
darkening sky.

“Missing Ginny?” Teddy asked.

“Yes.”

“Did she tell you a lie?”

“Yes.”

“That wasn’t very nice of her,” Teddy observed. Harry sighed, finally glancing across
at Teddy.

“She was just trying to make her life better.”

Teddy unbuckled his seatbelt and produced a tiny trunk in his hand, waiting for
Harry to perform an enlargement charm on it, carefully opening the door and
placing it on the pavement in preparation.

“Did she?”

244
“Did she what?” Harry asked, performing the spell.

“Did she make her life better?”

Harry thought. “I don’t know, Teddy. I really don’t know.”

Teddy nodded and walked away, disappearing into the Kings Cross crowd. Harry
prepared for the long drive home.

Alone again, he thought.

Overhead, the heavens opened and the rain poured down.

____________________

Scorpius was being a nightmare.

“Fucking stupid fucking thing — ”

“Malfoy,” Harry said warningly, but Scorpius glared.

“Well I can’t fucking do it, sir, the stupid fucking...”

“Just be patient and practise, you won’t get it straight away,” Harry said, knowing he
had said these words hundreds of times to Scorpius and, as always, it was advice
Scorpius refused to follow.

“I can’t, it’s bloody impossible,” Scorpius said angrily, and threw his textbook across
the room. It hit Dobson in the head and he snarled.

245
Harry sighed.

____________________

There was a loud and brief knock at Harry’s door before Scorpius burst in two
seconds later, without waiting for a reply. At least he’d taught him to knock, Harry
thought tiredly.

“Yes, Scorpius?”

“I got a letter from Dad,” Scorpius said excitedly. “First in ages. You gotta read it, sir,
and explain it to me. Coz I asked him a question, but the answer’s damn long.”

Harry frowned. Draco’s answers were never long.

“Alright,” he said reluctantly, and pulled the letter towards him. To his surprise, there
was no date, address and title, as Draco usually and meticulously included. It seemed
to open straight into a fairytale:

Once upon a time there was a strange little world which had no light and all the occupants lived in
darkness. In this dark world there were three brother wolves, Bene, Vikt and Cygnus. One day when
the brothers were out hunting they found a young princess weeping by a fir tree, for she was lost and
did not know the way home.

The brothers felt sorry for her and offered to lead her home. “For we can see easily into the darkness,”
they said, “and we promise not to harm you.”

The princess was very frightened but the wolves kept their promise and delivered her safely to her
father, the King, who was very grateful. “I must repay you,” he said to the wolves.

“Tell me,” he asked Vikt, the oldest, “what do you desire the most?”
246
“I desire gold and topaz,” Vikt said. “Their colour is bright and brings warmth to my heart.”

So the King created the sun. “The sun will bring warmth, and is far brighter than any gold I can
offer,” he said. “But every twelve hours, the sun must rest a while before rising again.”

Vikt thanked the King very much and left. Next, the King asked Bene what his heart’s desire was.

“I desire silver and diamonds,” Bene replied, “for they are beautiful and their coolness soothes my
mind.”

So the King created the stars. “The stars are more beautiful than any diamond I can offer,” he said,
“but during the day they will fade, because the sun will diminish their loveliness.”

But Bene was happy and thanked the King before following Vikt home. The King then looked at
Cygnus and said, “What do you desire, littlest wolf ? What pretty trinkets does your heart yearn for?”

But Cygnus shook his head. “There are no jewels I seek, and no trinkets I want,” he said. “All I
wish for is a companion, for my brothers rarely talk to me and I grow lonely.”

“Very well,” said the King. “In that case, your companion must match your gentleness and
compassion. The fox will not suit you, he is too sly and wicked. The crow will not suit you, he is too
fickle. The bear will not suit you, he is too ill-tempered. So I will grant you the company of my
daughter, the princess.”

“But she is human,” Cygnus said. “She will not desire a wolf companion.”

“Ah,” said the King. “And you are right. So you shall be a human.” He clapped his hands once, and
Cygnus instantly became a handsome youth. “Beware, every twenty-nine days,” the King warned,
“you will revert to wolf-form. But I will give you a companion during this time, so you may not feel
too lonely.” And he created the moon, to keep Cygnus company in wolf-form.

247
And so the brother wolves lived. Cygnus had the princess and the moon, Vikt had the sun and Bene the
stars. And it was generally agreed that Cygnus had the two most beautiful things of all.

Harry placed the letter down again gently. “What was the question?” he asked.

“Not really a question,” Scorpius admitted. “I just sort of wrote to him, all annoyed
coz we just had a full moon and I told him I hate being a werewolf and everyone
thinks we’re horrible creatures.” He hesitated. “Dad used to tell me that story when I
was a kid, but it’s been ages since he told it.”

“I suppose he thought it relevant,” Harry said. “He’s trying to tell you that you’ve got
a gift.”

“I ain’t got no princess,” Scorpius said suspiciously.

“No, what he means is, you’ve got — you’ve got Teddy and Leo, and you’ve got the
moon,” Harry said.

“Yeah, alright, I can see the Teddy and Leo bit,” Scorpius said. “But why the moon?
What’s so good about it?”

“Er...” Harry struggled. “You shouldn’t think of it as something that makes you a
werewolf, but something that suffers through the isolation with you, that waxes and
wanes with your human form.”

“Oh,” was all Scorpius said, before collecting his textbooks.

“Didn’t you want to write a reply?” Harry asked.

“Nah. I gotta think about it for a bit.”

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Scorpius never thought about anything. Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing as
Scorpius quietly left. He picked up his quill and resumed his writing:

...by the way, your son just interrupted my writing (rudely, as usual, but I’ll forgive him on account of
his most interesting news...). He just showed me a particularly interesting tale, penned by none other
than yourself. Then he asked me what it meant. Please don’t send any more such stories, as I have no
idea how to explain your riddles...

And although Harry didn’t ask, he felt as though Draco had written that story for two
people.

____________________

Harry held Draco’s letter, troubled, re-reading it again.

...and I’m getting so many Howlers from Penelope Clearwater, I’ve got scorch marks all over my
kitchen table. Even McGonagall is sending me concerned ‘is everything alright at home’ letters. I
honestly don’t know why he’s acting up again. Only last week he got caught fighting (on three separate
occasions), was thrown off the quidditch team (apparently the message “non-contact sport” just
wasn’t sinking in) and McGonagall informed me he’s failing two (two!) classes, a new record even for
him! Not to mention he apparently put a nest of Flobberworms in Clearwater’s desk, set a student’s
quill alight, and has been banned from the quadrangle on account of stupid fights over territory issues.
I feel like he’s losing control again...another Durmstrang situation coming up. Please, Harry, just talk
to him and ask him not to destroy his future...

“Is this true?” Harry asked Scorpius, who stared blankly. “I know about your little
quidditch incident last week, but all this fighting? Over territory? This is just getting
ridiculous. And what’s this about failing two classes?”

249
“McGonagall ratting on me again?” Scorpius asked, trying to glimpse the letter.
Harry folded it away.

“No, but a reliable source. Look, I’m getting really concerned about all this. Are you
ill or distracted or just being lazy?”

“Ah, sir, I get bored!” Scorpius protested. “I’m just trying to make class funny. And
homework, sir, dead boring, I’d rather be playing quidditch — ”

“Except you’re not on the team anymore,” Harry said quietly, and Scorpius fell silent.
“Look, what can I do to help you? Anything?”

“No,” Scorpius said. “I just get bored, that’s all. Homework takes too long, professors
drone on, all that — ”

“I’ll ask about getting you remedial lessons,” Harry sighed. “What classes are you
failing?”

“Already got remedial lessons, sir, I just can’t be arsed going to them.”

“Scorpius, this is serious. You really need to consider your education. What do you
want to be when you’re older?”

“I dunno, a hobo?”

“Scorpius!” Harry said with exasperation. “You must have some goal!”

“I dunno. Something with animals, maybe. The big dangerous ones.”

250
“Alright,” Harry said, relieved, opening the third drawer of his desk and feeling
slightly guilty as he got out Scorpius’s student record. Every Head of House had
student records, there to ensure student progress was monitored, but Harry didn’t
have the time and thus had not noticed Scorpius’s falling grades. He examined
Scorpius’s academic record critically.

Potions: A
Charms: P
Transfiguration: P
History of Magic: T
Defence Against the Dark Arts: A
Herbology: O
Care of Magical Creatures: A

“Well,” Harry said cautiously, “at least you’re passing Care of Magical Creatures, so
you’re getting there. But you seem to be doing remarkably well at Herbology.
Interested in anything there?”

“I like plants,” Scorpius said. “They don’t pick fights.”

“Er...okay...In any case, if you really want a career in Magical Creatures, you’re going
to have to lift your game. Otherwise in ten years time, you’re going to be really
kicking yourself for not getting high enough grades, and you’ll be stuck in a job you
hate.”

“Yeah, alright,” Scorpius said.

“Just...promise you’ll try harder, alright?”

“Yeah.”

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Harry dismissed Scorpius and sighed. He had the feeling he’d failed Draco somehow.

____________________

The twenty-third of March. A Wednesday. Spring was in the air and it was an
unexpectedly beautiful day. The students were lazily looking forward to lunch,
glancing out the window at the lush green pitch and everblue sky. Unfortunately it
was a theory lesson, making them a little dozier than usual. Harry smiled as Leo used
his textbook as a pillow.

“Alright, Dobson, can you tell me what a Foe-Glass is used for? Don’t look at your
textbook, please...”

There was a slight disturbance as Scorpius entered with his usual mess of books,
parchment and quills, his inkstained bag overflowing.

“Ah, Malfoy, take a seat,” Harry said, marking Scorpius as present. “We’re just
discussing Foe-Glasses, a very helpful object, particularly for the paranoid amongst
us.” A cloth was draped over the Foe-Glass, which Harry removed. Some of the more
eager class members stirred, fanning the heat away and looking with interest at the
object. “As you can see, there are probably some shadows in this glass,” Harry
gestured. “It will probably depend on the viewer, it changes from individual to
individual. But you should all be seeing silhouettes without any colour. If any of you
can see whites in their eyes, I suggest you get your wand out.”

The class all raised their eyebrows at each other; the more paranoid students leaned
forwards with wide eyes, trying to see their shadows.

“Alright,” Harry said. “Now can anyone think why or when a Foe-Glass could come
in handy?”

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“For Aurors?” Dobson suggested brightly.

“Absolutely. Five points.”

“For people working or living in high-risk areas, like Azkaban or the Magical Law
Enforcement department,” a girl piped up.

“Very good, Aaronson. Five points as well. The Magical Law Enforcement is a
particularly good point. For example, when surrounding a dangerous location or
person, it would do very well to see if you’re not about to be ambushed from behind.
This is where the Sneakoscope also comes in handy — particularly if you think you’ve
got a double agent on your team. But I digress. These are very good for those
thinking of careers in these areas, but what about ordinary, every-day use by normal
wizards and witches?” Harry turned to write on the blackboard and caught
movement from the corner of his eye, in the doorway.

Draco Malfoy stood there, staring at him.

Harry glanced quickly at Scorpius and saw the boy with his head down, diligently
writing away. Leo and Teddy, on the left of him, were swapping notes and looking
busy as they always did. No smirking or nudges to Scorpius. Nothing seemed amiss,
besides the fact Harry had never seen Scorpius so studious.

He glanced back towards the door and, surprised, saw McGonagall there, standing
and murmuring to Draco. She went to walk into the room but Draco shook his head
and after a moment she stepped back again, catching Harry’s eye. He realised they
wanted Scorpius, but for some reason wanted it to be discreet.

253
“Alright,” he said to his class. “How about we get into pairs, and you can come up
with your own reasons for using Foe-Glasses, Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors and
Revealers? I’ll want a presentation and examples by the end of the lesson. Could I get
someone to go to the library and pick up some books for the class?”

“Oh, sir, me, sir!” Leo’s hand shot up, and Dobson rose an arrow-straight arm. But
Harry ignored them.

“Malfoy, can I trust you to do that?”

“Yes, sir.” Scorpius rose, not looking Harry in the eye, and went to the door. As soon
as he saw McGonagall standing there he gave a cry and turned back towards Harry,
fast as lightning, but McGonagall was faster and she grabbed Scorpius by the arm,
pulling him away.

“Scorpius!” Leo cried, jumping to his feet, parchment going everywhere. “Hey!
What’re you doing!” he shouted at McGonagall, who ignored him.

“I already told you, Malfoy, there is no need to return to class,” she said sternly. “You
must go to your dormitory immediately.” With that, she put a hand on Scorpius’s
shoulder and directed him away.

“His dormitory?” Teddy repeated blankly. “What’s going on?” he asked Harry, who
was at a loss. He had no idea what was happening. Leo started racing towards the
now-empty doorway but Harry grabbed him as he went past.

“Mancini, sit down. You can’t do anything.”

“But sir — ”

254
“Sit down.” Harry waited a moment before letting go of Leo, watching as he
returned to his seat. His class watched him with pale, distracted faces. He knew the
lesson couldn’t go anywhere now.

“Class dismissed,” he sighed. “Go and enjoy the day. It’s beautiful.”

____________________

Harry raced to the school gates and once outside, Disapparated directly to
Hogsmeade. His guess was correct: Draco had not Apparated or Portkeyed to
Hogwarts, but had driven. The light blue Audi was waiting outside the train station,
Scorpius yelling as Draco forced him into the car as though he was a toddler throwing
a tantrum.

“I don’t want to fucking leave! You — can’t — make — me!” Scorpius screamed,
kicking out at his father with each word. “They’re — fucking — lying — ”

“Are you alright?” Harry asked softly and Scorpius paused for breath.

“No, I’m fucking not!”

“I was talking to your father.”

Draco gave Harry a look as Scorpius resumed his struggles.

“Expelled,” he said shortly, managing to shove Scorpius into the front seat and
slamming the door. Scorpius abruptly stopped his yelling and sat, still and silent,
staring straight ahead and apparently fuming.

“Expelled?” Harry said, incredulously. “Expelled? But — he can’t be — ”

255
“Well, he is.”

“But — where will he go?” Harry asked, still shocked. “What will he do?”

Draco didn’t answer him, getting into the driver’s side and slamming the door. Harry
watched him drive away.

He stood for some time, alone on the train platform.

____________________

Harry struggled to resume his third-year Defence classes. A few of Scorpius’s more
studious classmates were smug, but most of the class was silent. Even Dobson looked
pale and troubled. There were no smiles or cheerful words exchanged. They sat, still
and watchful, as though waiting for something.

An explanation.

Merlin knew they deserved it, but Harry couldn’t offer them one. He watched Leo sit
silently by Scorpius’s seat. Teddy sat next to him and the two sat there, apparently
immune to the satisfied looks the studious students gave them.

“Today we’re discussing Dark Detectors,” Harry said, his heart heavy. The class
watched him, unsmiling.

The lesson went slowly. Harry never thought he’d miss Scorpius’s constant
interruptions, his jokes and pranks and smart retorts. But he did, and the class seemed
to as well, as much as they’d made a fuss of him interrupting their education.

256
At the end of the class, Teddy approached Harry’s desk.

“Hey, Harry,” he said quietly. “Any news of Scorpius?”

“None,” Harry said.

“Mr Malfoy, he tell you anything?” Leo cut in, standing next to Teddy.

“No. Nothing.”

“He must’ve told you something!” Teddy exclaimed. “He must’ve written!”

“No,” Harry said, and the answer hurt him as much as it did Teddy. It had been a
week, and there was nothing. Not a letter, not a note. It was if Draco had simply
disappeared off the face of the planet.

____________________

Easter break.

He had fifty-two essays to go through.

Thirty-seven tests to mark.

He needed to review the housekeeping rules. He had to tidy up the Gryffindor rooms,
to clean off the noticeboard. He had to review lists of students who were going home
for the week.

He went home instead.

257
 ____________________

Teddy had initially refused to come home for break.

“It’s only a week and I’ve got three essays to do,” he said. But just an hour before
Harry was about to leave, he appeared in his office looking shifty.

“You’re going home to Tulip Hill, right?” he asked Harry.

“Of course.”

“So, while I’m in the area, I may as well visit Scorpius...”

“I suppose.”

“Great. Except Leo really wants to see Scorpius too.”

Harry said nothing, highly suspicious.

“So I told him he was welcome to stay with us for a few days,” Teddy went on,
carefully examining Harry’s expression hopefully.

“Alright,” Harry sighed. “As long as his parents are alright with the arrangements.
And only for a couple of days.”

“Awesome, thanks,” Teddy said gleefully. “Going there by train?”

“Yes. Be ready to leave in a half hour,” Harry ordered, knowing Teddy would take at
least an hour.

258
He did.

____________________

Scorpius answered the front door, and when he saw Leo and Teddy, his face split into
a wide grin, and within the next moment they were enthusiastically punching each
other, laughing and chatting and knocking over the coat stand and generally making a
nuisance of themselves.

“Professor Potter let me come along,” Leo said, and Scorpius looked gratefully at
Harry.

“Thanks a lot, sir, I knew you weren’t a tosser like Clearwater,” he said, another high
compliment.

“Er, you’re welcome,” Harry said. “I hope we haven’t imposed, I did want to call
ahead but Teddy and Leo wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Nah, no fucking problem sir, wicked surprise,” Scorpius said, smiling, and Leo,
apparently overwhelmed with emotion, hit Scorpius over the head with the coat
stand.

After Harry had managed to calm the boys down, return the coat stand to its rightful
place, repair the fruit bowl and retrieve all the oranges, he inquired if Draco was
around.

“Upstairs resting, I think,” Scorpius said, his smile fading and his face becoming
slightly troubled. “He’s been getting sick a lot, since I came back.”

259
“Oh. Well, I shouldn’t really be bothering him then, we should come back another
time — ”

“He’s alright,” Scorpius protested. “I reckon he’d really like to see you, sir, you should
go up and say hello.”

“No, I think I’d rather — ”

“Oh, go on, you two should catch up,” Teddy joined in, and the two looked at him so
beguilingly he gave up and made his way upstairs.

____________________

He paused on the landing, though, and frowned, hearing the deep strum of the cello,
and stood for a long while outside the studio door, staring at the delicate but simple
silver lock. He put his hand on the door handle, feeling its smooth coldness beneath
his hand, and turned it gently, opening the door and closing it behind him.

Draco was sitting by the window in a stream of golden late-afternoon sunlight.

Outside, the leaves on a tree danced in the wind, sending flickering shadows across
Draco’s face. Nevertheless, he remained undistracted, staring at the music, his fingers
dancing quickly across the strings, light but certain. Harry watched as his eyes flicked
backwards and forwards, reading the music like a book.

Harry didn’t move and Draco didn’t stop, continuing on until he’d finished the last
bar. Then he examined his bow and picked a small rectangle of rosin from the music
stand, drawing it down the strings in long strokes so that the fine white dust rose, the
particles illuminated in the dance of light and shadow. He then sat down, settled and
played through the piece again. Harry didn’t mind because he’d missed the start
anyway, and it turned out to be very beautiful and slow. Draco was always very

260
patient, taking his time. Never rushing into the higher, quicker notes. He savoured
every note as though it was a particularly fine dessert or a summer day.

When he’d completed the second rehearsal, he finally slackened the bow and put it
away, gently laying the cello in its case and turning to Harry.

“I thought Scorpius was being particularly raucous,” he said.

“Leo and Teddy are here,” he said, shrugging helplessly. “I wanted to ring ahead, but
the boys insisted on surprising Scorpius. I’ll go collect them now.”

“Let them stay,” Draco said. The shadows of the leaves danced across his face, and
Harry couldn’t make out his expression.

“I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

Draco’s lips curved into a soft smile. “I don’t mind. Barely noticed you.”

A truth, Harry thought. Draco’s face had a focussed but pensive look to it and Harry
could tell he was locked away in a different world.

“How’s things with Scorpius?”

Draco shrugged and sat down in the chair again, his eyes cast downwards.
“Impossible. I honestly don’t know what to do. I don’t want to send him away to an
overseas school, I haven’t got the time or experience to homeschool him.”

“Expelled,” Harry said softly, feeling the mellow afternoon sunlight warming his face.

“From two schools.”

261
They said nothing for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Harry was racking his
mind, trying to think why Scorpius could have been expelled. He really didn’t want to
ask Draco, feeling the question was irrelevant and insensitive.

“Tell me something,” Draco said. “You raised Teddy, didn’t you?”

Harry shrugged. “With his grandmother’s assistance, yes, I suppose. I taught him how
to tie his shoelaces, how to ride a bike — and a broom — how to swim.”

“Manners?”

“Yes. He learned to eat his vegetables before he got dessert. Not to put his elbows on
the table, to ask to be excused, to take his plate to the sink. To always say please and
thank you. To wait his turn in queues, to mind his language, to always reply politely.”

“You’ve done a wonderful job,” Draco said quietly. “You should be really proud of
him.” He lifted his head and gazed at Harry. “Can you say the same to me?”

Harry hesitated, just for a second, but Draco saw it and he turned away, his face
hidden in shadows as the afternoon melted into evening, the shadows growing long
and deep.

Harry left.

____________________

Draco didn’t write to Harry anymore, but Harry was determined to send letters.
Draco held the latest one in his hand, staring at it, re-reading it.

262
Once upon a time there was a kingdom of great wealth, and in this kingdom lived a prince and his
mother, the empress. The prince was engaged to a young girl, Aria, but the engagement was long and
the girl grew sad because she was alone in a foreign land and the empress disliked her.

On a perfect spring day with a blue wren’s kiss, Aria asked the empress for a dress for her wedding.

“A dress?” the empress asked. “A dress? But why, my dear, would you need a dress?”

“To look my best for your son.”

“But even in rags, you would look beautiful,” the empress said, and she cut up all of Aria’s dresses.

So Aria went away and returned one month later, and she asked the empress for a ring of gold.

“A ring?” the empress asked. “A ring? But why, my dear, would you need a ring?”

“To wear for your son.”

“But you need no silly trinket to show you belong to him,” the empress said, and she took away all of
Aria’s jewellery.

So Aria went away again and waited another month before asking for a companion.

“A companion? But why, my dear, would you need a companion?”

“To ease my heartache.”

“But you have no heartache when you have the hand of my son in marriage,” the empress said, and
she ordered all those within the palace not to speak a word nor spare a glance to Aria.

And so Aria went away again, and this time she left her room, she left the palace, she left the golden
city and walked past fields and pastures, rivers and mountains, and found the very edge of the world.

263
And it was a beautiful summer’s day with the song of eternity in the clouds when the prince went to
his mother and gave her all his finest clothes.

“I do not need these,” he said.

“But my son will only wear the best,” the empress said, and so her son went away. He returned one
month later and gave her his wedding ring.

“I do not need this,” he said.

“But you must be married,” the empress said, and so the son went away again and returned one
month later, requesting his servants and guards leave him.

“But you must always be waited on,” the empress said, and her son went away again. He left his
room, he left the palace, he left the city and walked past fields and pastures, rivers and mountains. He
climbed the highest peak and looked to the end of the world, and decided to go there to find his Aria.

And in the golden city, the empress’s palace crumbled away to nothing as she screamed for the last
precious thing she had lost.

Draco placed the letter down gently and stared out the window, the light flickering
through the leaves, the shadows dancing.

He picked up his pencil and added a few more notes to his composition.

____________________

Summer.

264
The students lazed by the banks, the trees dipped and danced in the breezes, the
cloudless sky was an everlasting blue. The heart-shaped leaves of the gossamer tree
blew over the grounds, floating and dancing over the sleepy heads of students, the
adoring faces of couples. They had their entire future ahead of them and Harry
watched for a moment as a young man picked up one of the heart-shaped leaves and
twirled it absently.

He smiled and looked back down to the letter lying on his desk, picking his quill back
up and writing in the few last words.

Again, many thanks for entrusting me with the care and education of so many bright, young witches
and wizards. I pray I have contributed to their knowledge and assisted them in gaining a sound
education; however two years as a Defence teacher is, as you know, one year too many. I have broke
tradition and I apologise.

Yours sincerely,

Harry Potter.

P.S: Enclosed you will find a vial of clear, tasteless, scentless liquid. Think what you may of it; I
have nothing to say except I noted Eugene Dobson, a third-year Hufflepuff, discussing plans to
purchase a firespell several weeks ago.

Having signed his name, he folded and slipped the letter into an envelope and
addressed it to Professor McGonagall, leaving it sitting on his otherwise empty desk
and walking from his office. As he went through the grounds, students turned and
smiled.

“Going home early, professor?”

“Beat the rush, eh, sir?”

265
“Happy holidays!”

“Goodbye, sir!”

He laughed and farewelled them, the familiar faces he knew so well, before walking
away and disappearing through the gates of Hogwarts.

____________________

McGonagall read the letter, at first frowning over the task of finding another Defence
teacher, and then over the vial. She examined it for a moment, then sent Grimble out
to find Dobson and require that he meet her in Professor Potter’s office.

Dobson arrived, looking alert and beaming at her.

“Professor Potter’s already guaranteed me an Outstanding Achievement,” he said,

looking around as though waiting to be presented with an award.

“I daresay he has. He’s mentioned on several occasions that you’re quite an ambitious
student,” McGonagall replied. “A lot of potential, he said. He did mention, however,
that he found you quite a serious boy. Lacking humour.”

“I’m very serious about my study,” Dobson said proudly. “I certainly wouldn’t regard
that as being a negative trait.”

“So you would agree you’re not the type for pranks, tricks, mischief ?” McGonagall
asked, idly rolling the vial across her palm.

“Er...no,” Dobson said, eyeing the phial. “Is that...is that Veritaserum?”

266
“Ah! Quite the detective,” McGonagall said. “Professor Potter was right, you’re a very
promising student. So much more potential than young Scorpius Malfoy. A
troublemaker, always up to no good. But we won’t speak of him, shall we? He was
expelled two months ago. An unfortunate case.”

Dobson was looking distinctly uncomfortable. McGonagall carried on.

“Friendly with him, were you?”

“Oh...no...he was quite mean to me on several occasions. A bully,” Dobson said

anxiously. “You can ask Professor Potter, he once stabbed me with a quill — ”

“Oh, yes. Quite the mischief maker. I imagine you wouldn’t enjoy his company.”

“Yes. I find pranks quite distasteful.” Dobson wiped a sleeve across his damp
forehead, looking uncomfortable in the warm office.

“Really? Then why, pray tell, would you be purchasing a firespell?”

“A...what?”

“A firespell. Designed to explode on contact. Surely you remember two months ago,
when our own Professor Clearwater was the victim of such an unkind — and quite
unfunny — prank. Poor girl, she suffered quite nasty burns.”

Dobson squirmed.

“Tea?” McGonagall said, turning her back to him and letting the vial clink gently on
the desk.

267
“Alright!” Dobson bursted out. “It — it was just a bit of fun, my friends and I were
sick of Malfoy always getting away with stuff, we thought it — ”

“That it would serve him right?” McGonagall said, a thin eyebrow arched. “That he
would get into serious trouble, and the biggest joke of all would be that nobody would
believe him when he said he didn’t do it?”

“Exactly, everyone knows him and Professor Clearwater hate each other,” Dobson
said. “But we didn’t mean to hurt anyone, we thought Professor Clearwater would
just do a flame-freezing charm or something, I mean, really — ”

“She was in shock,” McGonagall said coldly. “I daresay you may have reacted exactly
the same.”

“And we didn’t mean for Malfoy to get expelled,” Dobson said, visibly upset. “We
thought at most, he’d get a suspension.”

“And once he was expelled, you decided not to speak up?”

Dobson said nothing, staring at the floor. “I — I’m not going to be expelled, am I?”
he whispered. “Only...I got here on a scholarship, see, and my guardian, he’d be
awfully disappointed in me...I’ve spent all year studying to get really good grades for
him...he’d be devastated if I was expelled...”

McGonagall’s expression softened. “I can see everything went out of control,” she
said gently. “You’ll have to be punished, certainly, but I don’t think you’ll be
expelled.”

268
He sagged with relief. McGonagall dropped the vial of water back into her pocket
and gazed out into the summer day.

____________________

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

I write to inform you that your son, Scorpius Malfoy, was wrongly and unjustly accused of injuring
Professor Penelope Clearwater and was subsequently issued an expulsion from the Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry on the 23rd of March 2010.

Fortunately this decision has been reversed and the student responsible has been punished. I sincerely
apologise for the trauma and immense inconveniences incurred by the expulsion and extend an
invitation for Scorpius to resume his education at Hogwarts. He has been given the grade average this
year; if you require any additional information regarding Scorpius’s education and learning please do
not hesitate to owl me.

Regards,
Professor M. McGonagall,
Headmistress.

Harry dropped the letter.

“So?”

“So,” Draco said, “go ahead and tell me you weren’t involved.”

“I just overheard something and got suspicious, told McGonagall,” Harry shrugged.
“I didn’t pull any strings.”

Draco just smiled.

269
Their companionable silence was ruined by the sound of somebody falling down the
stairs. Draco sighed.

“First day of the summer holidays, and they’re already wrecking the house.” He
opened the studio door and disappeared. After a while, Harry heard some angry
yelling and couldn’t help but suppress a smile.

“...don’t try telling me it was Teddy’s idea to ride your bike down the stairs either,
Scorpius, now you can go clean off all that mud! And if that bike isn’t outside in five
seconds, I’m taking it to the tip!”

Scorpius muttered under his breath, wheeling the bike outdoors whilst Teddy looked
anxious.

“And don’t put it in the garage either, it’s full moon tonight!”

“I’m not going to chew up my own bicycle,” Scorpius protested, but nevertheless put
it in the garden shed instead. Draco sighed, seeing Harry standing at the foot of the
stairs.

“He still deludes himself that he can control his actions in werewolf form. Tea?”

“Of course,” Harry said, wandering into the kitchen and tripping over Teddy. “Go
help Scorpius. And I don’t care if it wasn’t your idea, you should have had the sense
to talk Scorpius out of it.”

“Good, next time you can try talking him out of something,” Teddy shot back.

“Point taken. Have a biscuit. Not the last gingersnap, that’s mine.”

270
Teddy took a digestive and wandered away; Draco shook his head and opened his
teabox. Harry watched his hands, the movements familiar to him now.

“I liked your story.”

Harry said nothing, watching Draco’s hands measure out the dried tea, his actions
quick and sure.

“I read it to Scorpius. He liked it.” His fingers tapped on the teaspoon, pale against
the silver. Harry saw that beneath Draco’s thumb, it was tarnished, the outer coat of
metal rubbing away from so much use.

“What are you doing on the fifth?” he asked Draco, who glanced at him, startled.

“The fifth? Let me see...what’s today...Wednesday...I’ve got head into London on

Friday to do some recordings, but I should be back by late afternoon.”

“Who are you recording for?”

Draco shrugged. “I lose track. There’s a couple of regular bands that constantly want
a string quartet, solo cello or even an orchestra in their songs, but for most artists it’s
just a one-off track. I can never remember names.”

He handed Harry his tea and Harry stirred it with the teaspoon, staring at the
tarnished spot on the handle.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked, glancing at him, and Harry shook his head as if he
was trying to physically free himself of his dreams.

271
“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, I’m just a little distracted.” Harry met Draco’s eyes and lightly
changed subjects. “Scorpius said you were ill.”

“I get migraines a lot,” Draco said. “Stress-induced. Nothing serious.”

“It’s hard to imagine you being stressed,” Harry commented. He couldn’t imagine
Draco losing control or screaming his head off or panicking over anything. Draco was
cool and calm. He was careful, he never spoke rashly or acted without thinking.
Everything he did had a reason, a purpose.

He looked up and for some reason found himself smiling as Draco glanced up at him,
stirring his tea.

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Oh, nothing,” Harry said, and Draco smiled to himself, shaking his head.

“Sometimes I think you’re mad.”

“But you enjoy my company, nevertheless.”

“Yes,” Draco said, wrapping both hands around his cup of tea and gazing out the
window, to where Scorpius and Teddy were climbing the apple tree. “Yes, I do.”

____________________

“Bloody hell, Scorpius, sit still or I’ll Petrify you.”

“You wouldn’t, sir!”

272
“Oh yes I would.” Harry adjusted the lens and shooed Teddy out of shot. “Now sit
still, and — Scorpius! Don’t pull faces like that — ”

“Coffee?” Hermione offered.

“No, I’m alright. Thanks for lending me this photography stuff, Hermione.”

“You’re welcome. I don’t think you’re making much progress though.”

“I’d say. Scorpius!”

Scorpius dropped the hatstand guiltily and Teddy rubbed the back of his head,
glaring.

“Maybe you should just let them run around for a bit,” Hermione said, hastily
rescuing her hatstand. “Go for natural shots instead of formal portraits.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Harry was ready to give up on the whole idea.

“Outside, perhaps, where the light is more natural.”

“Okay.”

“Black and white, that would look really gorgeous.”

Harry wordlessly handed the camera over to her and wandered off.

“Oh no, I’m not doing it for you!” Hermione called out quickly, but he was gone and
she sighed.

273
Harry and Ron wandered outside, watching as she shooed the boys outside and let
them run around, snapping away.

“I should help her,” Harry said, but Ron waved a hand dismissively.

“Nah, she’s got it all under control.”

Harry laughed, clinking his butterbeer against Ron’s.

____________________

“Happy birthday!”

Draco stared blankly at Scorpius. He’d just arrived home late, from the recordings,
and put his treasured cello away, made dinner, watched Dr Who and now Scorpius
had appeared out of nowhere, holding a muffin proudly, a green candle in the middle
of it.

“I made it myself,” Scorpius said proudly. “And picked out the candle. Here’s your
present.” He handed over a flat parcel importantly. “Come on, open it up, I wanna
see what it is!”

Draco stared at him. Scorpius began back-pedalling.

“It is your birthday right? Coz if it isn’t — ”

“Yes,” Draco said quietly. “Yes, it is. I’d forgotten.” He’d learnt to forget his birthdays
over the years. Of course, Scorpius’s were always marked with plenty of celebrations,
embarrassing singing, friends, cake, presents. But not Draco’s birthday.

274
“Oh, good,” Scorpius said with relief. “Come on, open it up!”

Draco hesitantly and carefully removed the silver paper, edging it off to reveal a
beautiful photo frame — black and simple. Exactly Draco’s style. But he was more
interested in the actual photographs. Somebody had painstakingly cut out white
cardboard to create nine little frames within the larger frame, and each frame had a
little photograph of Scorpius. A moving photograph.

“Wizard photographs,” Draco whispered, staring at the photographs. Here Teddy

and Scorpius played cricket; there, Harry stood at the foot of a tree, talking
animatedly to Teddy and Scorpius as they peered through the leaves.

“Oh, I thought Potter would’ve given you something more interesting,” Scorpius said.
“Like a Firebolt 4000 or something...”

“It’s perfect,” Draco murmured.

“Are you going to eat your muffin?”

“Give that to me,” Draco laughed, drawing in a deep breath. “Thank you, Scorpius.”

“You’re welcome,” recited Scorpius. Harry had taken him aside and demanded he be
nice for Draco’s birthday. ‘You might be a little brat for the other 364 days,’ he had
said. ‘But you’ll be good today.’ And Scorpius had been. He’d helped set the table,
he’d peeled the potatoes for dinner, he had gone upstairs and left Draco alone to
watch his favourite show. He’d even cleaned up the lounge, so people could walk
across it without breaking either their ankles or a possession.

Draco looked up at him and smiled, quite a beautiful smile, and Scorpius thought
he’d never seen his father happier.

275
 ____________________

“Accio rosin. Accio rosin. Accio rosin!”

“You’re not holding your wand right.”

Draco looked behind him. Harry leaned against the doorframe, neither smiling nor
frowning. He simply looked pensive, his voice quiet. He slowly unfolded his arms and
made his way across the room to Draco, standing directly behind him, his breath
tickling the nape of Draco’s neck.

“You need to adjust your grip for the wand movement to be precise.” Harry wrapped
his own hand around Draco’s, bringing the wand a little higher up and gently
changing Draco’s grip.

“Accio rosin,” he said, his hand moving with Draco’s, and the rosin flew towards them;
Harry brought his other arm up on Draco’s other side and smoothly caught it. “Just
like that,” he said, and stepped away from him. However Draco dropped his arm, his
wand loose in his hand.

“I feel stupid.”

Harry looked at him, surprised.

“Practising third-year skills. Scorpius can do this and I can’t.”

276
“You’ve been thirteen years without magic, Draco. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You
know your skills are going to be a little rusty. It’s just like if you didn’t play the cello
for thirteen years.”

Draco sighed, bringing his arm up again and concentrating on the music stand.
Harry watched his face, the muscles tightening with determination, his eyes
narrowing with focus. His fingers adjusted, readjusted.

“My hand doesn’t feel right. I’ve got the grip wrong again, haven’t I?”

Harry smiled and came up to him again, this time standing in front of him and
changing Draco’s grip, pushing his hand further along the wand. He stepped back
and Draco brought up his wand.

“Accio pencil.”

The pencil slowly and painfully began moving. It took five minutes to reach Draco,
who caught it with a sigh and began adjusting his grip.

“Harry, could you help me again? I’m — ”

“Actually, I just remembered I promised I’d, er, meet Ginny,” Harry said quickly.
“Sorry, I’ve got to go.” He strode quickly towards the door, opened it and closed it
again, leaving Draco staring in disappointment and confusion at the spot where he’d
been standing.

He stood alone in his sun-warmed studio, light and shadow playing on his face, for a
long time, trying to identify the feeling in his heart. Sadness, perhaps.

____________________

277
Harry’s hands were still trembling by the time he’d reached his own home. What had
happened? Standing in the studio, feeling everything...the warm sunlight on his back,
the smooth floorboards beneath his feet, the comfortable quietness, the shadows
dancing across Draco’s hands, the sun illuminating fine blond strands of hair, so close
Harry could smell Draco’s aftershave... And he’d found his heart racing, his breath
caught, his hands trembling.

What was wrong with him? Perhaps he’d had a moment of claustrophobia, shortness
of breath, something like that.

He sighed and waited until his hands stopped shaking before making a cup of tea and
calling Ginny. He may as well arrange to catch up and try to salvage their friendship.

____________________

“How did your meeting with Ginny go?”

“What? Oh, yes. Actually, we had a long talk and...well...the engagement party is next
week.”

“Oh.” Draco tried to add a teaspoon of coffee to Harry’s cup and his hand slipped,
scattering coffee granules everywhere. Draco tried to sweep them up and ended up
bumping the cup, making it fall from the counter and smash onto the floor.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked with concern. “Here, let me help.”

“Harry, it’s fine.”

“Reparo!”

278
“Just leave it.”

“Scourgify — ”

“I said fucking leave it alone, alright!” Draco shouted, and Harry stopped, staring.
“Just fucking leave it, Potter, I don’t need your magic to fix everything, alright? It
wouldn’t take that much effort to just pick up the pieces yourself, would it? But if
you’re that keen, go ahead! Here you go!” And with that, he swiped his cup to the
floor, where it shattered, the fine china splintering loudly. Draco reached for another
cup standing on the sink, smashing it onto the floor, reached for another — but Harry
reached out and took hold of his wrist.

“Draco, what’s wrong? Please, calm down — ”

“Let me go,” Draco snapped.

“You’re being irrational,” Harry said. “Please, just tell me what’s wrong.”

They stood that way for a long time. Draco was standing with his back to the counter,
his eyes resolutely cast downwards. Harry was holding both his wrists, staring
searchingly at his face.

“I’m sorry,” Draco said, forcing his voice to be calm. “I’ve just got a migraine, I get
very irritable.”

“A migraine?” Harry said sceptically.

“Yes.”

279
Harry sighed and released Draco’s wrists.

“Do you want to come to the engagement party?”

“No thanks,” Draco snapped.

“Come on, I’d really love the company. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy
for Ginny and Dennis, but...” Harry trailed off, looking unhappy. “I just think it
would be really awkward.”

Draco stared at him for a long time. “Ginny Weasley and Dennis...?”

“Dennis Creevey. Ginny Weasley and Dennis Creevey. What a pair.” Harry started
laughing.

After a heartbeat, Draco joined in.

____________________

“Do you want me to stop practising magic around you?”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. I need to get used to it anyway.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said. “I didn’t realise it was annoying you.”

“It’s fine. How were you supposed to know, anyway?”

“True. You never give anything away. You always look calm, unemotional.” Harry
paused. “It’s nice to see you’re human.”

280
Draco looked at him, startled. Proof you’re human... The words echoed as though he’d
heard them before.

They sat on Draco’s front porch, watching fireflies. Draco had lit a citronella candle
to keep the summer insects at bay and Harry found the citrusy scent quite soothing.

“I give some things away,” Draco said quietly as they watched the fireflies dance
above them.

“If you’re talking about Scorpius, you can have him back,” Harry said, referring to
the fact Scorpius had spent the majority of the week at Harry’s place. Draco laughed
and shook his head.

“That’s not what I was talking about.”

“I know,” Harry said, smiling.

“Oh, you do? Enlighten me,” Draco said, a faint smile gracing his lips. “What do I
give away?”

“Stories,” Harry said seriously. “Memories. Time. Thoughts, ideas, advice, songs,
truths.” He paused, glancing at Draco. “Are you alright?”

“I think I’ve got a migraine coming on,” Draco murmured, his eyes closed.

“Do you want me to get you something?” Harry asked. “Water, paracetamol?”

“I’ve got some codeine upstairs,” Draco said softly, his face growing pale. “In my
room. Bedside table.”

281
“I’ll get it for you,” Harry said quickly, not liking how quickly the headache had hit
Draco. “I’ll be back soon.” He got up from the steps and hurried inside, making his
way to Draco’s room and reaching for the light switch.

“Right, bedside table,” he murmured, seeing in a glance that it wasn’t on top of the
table. There was a drawer underneath however, and Harry opened it, expecting it to
be filled with the usual junk that bedside tables always were.

However there was nothing but two black scraps of robe, placed — and the word
which came to Harry’s mind was lovingly — inside, carefully folded. Harry frowned
and picked one up, gently unfolding it and recognising instantly the Slytherin crest.
Pansy’s torn robe. He frowned and reached for the other piece, and as it fell open,
gold thread caught in the light and glittered richly.

The Gryffindor crest.

Harry was suddenly in the middle of last year, in summer, gazing up at the stars, lying
next to Draco Malfoy. Handing him his wand, wrapped in a scrap of old robe.
He shook his head, as if to clear away the memory, as if to clear away the stars and
summer and Draco Malfoy.

Allegra.

The first spell in thirteen years, a calming spell given to Harry Potter. No curses or
dark spells or offensive magic. Just soft words from soft lips.

He abruptly turned away, folding the material quickly and placing it back in the
drawer, shutting it with a snap as though he wished it was really his memories he was
shutting away, wanting them to stay dark and dusty forever.

282
He turned and saw the codeine. It had been knocked off the bedside table and was
lying on the floor. Harry grabbed it roughly and went downstairs, filling up a cup with
water and returning to the porch. Draco had his face buried in his arms and seemed
asleep, but when he heard Harry’s footsteps he opened his eyes slowly, carefully, as
though any movement would harm him.

“Here’s your codeine,” Harry said, popping out the pills for him. “And water.”

Draco wordlessly took the pills and washed them down with the water.

“Do you want to go inside?”

“No,” Draco mumbled. “You can go in though, if you want.”

Harry sat next to him. “I’ll wait with you, Draco.”

They fell asleep under the stars.

____________________

Stars, white and glittering. He remembered that, looking up and seeing the stars
reflected in Harry’s dark pupils.

He rolled over and glanced at the clock. Past ten.

“That codeine seemed to knock you out.”

Draco twisted his neck round and gazed at dresser, where Harry was helping himself
to an open bag of Maltesers.

283
“I was starting to get worried about you,” Harry said. “Very disconcerting not to see
you up and about as early as annoyingly possible.”

“I’m okay,” Draco said sleepily. “Why am I wearing yesterday’s clothes?”

“You fell asleep on the porch,” Harry grinned. “I carried you to bed.”

“You...carried me?”

“Yes. No magic.”

Draco looked faintly embarrassed. “I wouldn’t have minded. I was unconscious.”

“Yes, but it’s the principle of the thing.” Harry paused and ate another Malteser.
“Scorpius has been running around asking where you are. I told him you came home
drunk, had a fight with the coat-stand, then drove off and shagged your ex.”

Draco grinned.

“There you go,” Harry said. “Much better. Now hurry up and have breakfast, they
made pancakes and want you to try some.”

“Oh, god,” Draco said. “Are they pink?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. Give them to the cat.”

“The poor thing,” Harry said indignantly, but Draco just laughed and Harry
retreated, smiling, closing the door behind him.

284
“Hey, don’t think I didn’t notice you ate all my Maltesers,” Draco called, but there
was just silence and he smiled, shaking his head and stretching, ready for the day.

____________________

“Professor Potter’s always ’round here.”

“So?” Draco asked, his heart unexpectedly skipping a beat.

“So, how come he’s not here today?” Scorpius sulked. “Teddy and I can’t play
Monopoly now.”

“You hate Monopoly, Harry beats you every single time.”

“Yeah, but he’s cool about it,” Scorpius sighed, kicking at the counter.

“Well, he’s gone home, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“I reckon if you called him and asked, he’d come over,” Scorpius suggested.

“I just can’t call him up and ask him over,” Draco said irritably, examining a pancake
and frowning. “I’ve told you before not to use pasta sauce in your pancake recipes.”

“Yeah, you can. You’re friends, friends do that all the time,” Scorpius said, ignoring
the jibe at his pancakes.

“He only just left, give the man some peace,” Draco snapped.

285
“See,” Scorpius muttered. “You miss him too, you always get grumpy when he’s
gone.”

“Scorpius, I’m really not in the mood for this discussion. Go find something to do
rather than annoying me. Go play Snap or something.”

“I’m not five,” Scorpius sulked, but when he caught Draco’s eye he slunk away and
Draco sighed, turning back to the pancake and morosely dissecting it. Scorpius was
right. He was already missing Harry, and the man had only been gone an hour.

“What’s wrong with me?” Draco said aloud.

____________________

The night was warm and Draco was restless, trying to find a cool spot on the sheets.
He slid a hand under the pillow next to him, enjoying the coldness, until his hand
brushed something even colder. He slowly fitted his palm around it, feeling the shape.
He sat up, frowning, and turned on the lamp.

Harry’s phone.

A habit, Draco supposed. Placing it under the pillow each night so he could hear the
alarm in the morning. Or perhaps in case he received important calls.

The why wasn’t important. What was important was the fact that Harry had slept
next to Draco last night, had lain beside him. He would have woken early, taken his
wand and wallet and keys from the bedside table, smoothed over his covers, left. Only
he’d forgotten his phone, slipped so casually under Draco’s pillow.

286
He curled his hand around the phone, falling asleep holding it, dreaming of stars and
moons and winter and summer and wolves, three wolves.

____________________

Ginny was crying in the kitchen, and Hermione rounded on Harry.

“Harry, honestly, she’s really upset...”

“Look, I told her I was bringing a friend along and she seemed fine with it!” Harry
hissed. “You can go ahead and call me insensitive, but I think she should just grow
up.”

“Look, mate, I know where you’re coming from,” Ron said anxiously. “She’s
overdoing the whole ‘Malfoy is evil’ thing and yeah, alright, she should grow up like
the rest of us. But come on, it’s her engagement party, just let her have her way...”

Harry folded his arms. “No. She’s stressing Draco out. He’s out the back having a
smoke, and he only ever does that when he’s stressed.”

“Yeah, alright, you can kick up a fuss afterwards,” Ron said impatiently. “Just...”

“Just what? Explain to Draco that Ginny thinks we’re all seventeen again? Or
shouldn’t I even bother with an explanation?”

“Merlin, I knew this was going to happen,” Hermione groaned. “I told Ginny not to
invite everyone and expect them to get along...look, she even invited Lavender and
Parvati, and they haven’t spoken since that incident with Dean Thomas two years
back...”

287
Harry glanced momentarily over to them, where they were coldly ignoring each
other, a very uncomfortable Neville between them.

“This is a complete disaster,” Hermione muttered under her breath.

“Look, she was just trying to be nice,” Ron said defensively. “Alright, maybe not the
best decision, but she meant well!”

“I’m not saying she didn’t,” Hermione protested, but Ron had stormed off.

“Great,” she muttered, sitting next to Harry. “Fantastic.”

“Well, I’m off,” Harry said shortly.

“What? You can’t go yet, we haven’t even had lunch!” Hermione hissed.

“I’m not hungry. Got a headache, had a late night, and so on.”

“Harry, come on, please don’t leave me here,” Hermione whispered desperately, but
he was gone.

She sighed and fished a book from her handbag.

____________________

“What a bloody nightmare,” Harry said, turning his keys in the ignition. Music
blasted through the speakers and Harry accelerated sharply, speeding down the road
and turning a corner without slowing down. He glanced across at Draco, who seemed
to be quite enjoying himself, the window wound down as he gazed out into the blue
sky.

288
“Hey,” he said. “I’ve got an idea.”

Draco looked at him expectantly.

____________________

“A Firebolt 2000,” Harry said, tenderly, lifting the broom from its case.

“Aren’t you a little old for quidditch?” Draco asked.

“Never. Ron and I still have games.”

“It’s awesome, sir,” breathed Scorpius, gazing at the broom in wonder. Teddy was
more casual, casting an expert eye over it.

“Not as good as the Strike,” he said.

“Oh, quiet, you,” Harry said.

They had arrived at the fields just on dusk. Again the scent of heather drifted through
the soft blue glow of eventide, the fireflies dancing, the grass moving with the summer
breeze. The boys took instantly to the skies, weaving around each other, laughing. The
crescent moon rose above them, perfect and pale.

“Let’s see how I manage,” Harry said, and he kicked off, strong and graceful as ever,
weaving and looping around the thrilled boys. Draco laughed at their antics, watching
them feint and loop and dive, moving through the sky as though they were part of it,
just another string of stars elegantly thrown across the canvas of sky. Harry dived low,
skimming across the grass, quick and graceful, landing at Draco’s feet.

289
“Your turn.”

Draco shook his head mutely.

“Come on,” Harry said breathlessly. “It’s been years, hasn’t it?”

“It’s alright,” Draco protested, but the next moment he was sitting behind Harry, his
arms wrapped tightly around him.

“Relax,” Harry said, and Draco felt his voice vibrate through his back.

“I’ll try,” he said, and they took off into the sky.

Draco had forgotten it, the feel of it. The air in his face, the beauty of it all. Here they
followed the Milky Way, there they chased a stray leaf across the night sky. Harry
dipped and skimmed with the leaf as though he were part of the breeze, moving with
it. Always with it, never against it. Draco lifted his head and stared up at the dizzying
sky with its myriad of stars and beauty, blurred into a beautiful, glittering chaos.
Harry turned and dived sharply, and suddenly —

— Crabbe’s tortured screams, swallowed by flames — clinging to the back of Harry,

sobbing with grief and fear, flying low over the burning things, the burning body —
ashes choking him, suffocating him —

Harry flew on towards the stars, Draco holding onto him tightly, until the soft smell of
heather soothed him, the breeze chasing away the ghosts of ashes and flames.

Afterwards, when the boys landed and they made their way home over the dewy
grass, Harry tactfully didn’t notice the dampness on his shoulders.

290
 ____________________

“Leaving on Monday?” Draco asked. Harry would be going again. The hazel tree
would lose its green leaves, Venus would diminish. In the unfamiliar place, there
would be no smile. Only cold faces.

“No,” Harry said. “I resigned.”

“You resigned?”

“I resigned.”

They sat in silence.

____________________

Late afternoon.

The dance of light and shadow began, the leaves shifting, the sunlight filtering
through them, Draco’s face flickering with shadow and light as he drew the bow
slowly across the strings, long and melancholy like the howl of a wolf to a lonely
moon, like winter’s memory of summer.

“That sounds sad,” Harry said.

“It is.” Draco busied himself with slackening the bow and putting away his cello.
“Coming downstairs?”

“In a moment,” Harry replied, and Draco left him.

291
He stood in the flickering sunlight for a moment, then reached out and gazed at the
music piece. All of it was written in pencil, quickly and gracefully, notes crossed out
and added, notes in the side margins: Affectueusement, Mezzo-Forte, Decrescendo.

He looked at the title.

Lonely Moon
(Harry’s Song).

He stood for a long while in the dying light, holding his song, Draco’s song.

____________________

Scorpius and Teddy wanted one last play around the fields before they left for
Hogwarts. Before autumn came and stole summer’s loveliness. Harry and Draco
watched their boys laugh as they flew across the evening sky, their shadows dancing
across the grass below.

“If you could change anything in your life,” Harry asked Draco, “what would it be?”
Draco twirled a four-leaf clover between his fingers, gazing up at the sky.

“Nothing.”

“What about the Battle?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I would’ve held onto you a little tighter.”

Harry watched the sun set, a brilliant and momentary dazzle of colours.

292
“I would have held onto you too,” Harry said quietly. “I would’ve held onto everyone.
Somehow they just seemed to fall through my fingers, like sand. Like time. How many
people have slipped from my hands?”

“Maybe they just let go,” Draco said.

And in the dusk, in the long dewy grass, Draco’s hand tightened on Harry’s.

____________________

Scorpius joined Teddy, flying alongside him.

“Ugh, you’re right. Again.”

Teddy grinned. “I told you they would. You owe me five galleons.”

“Ah, come on! It was only holding hands, maybe it’s just a friend thing — ”

“Nope. Pay up.”

“Come on, just friends! Friends hold hands.”

“Just admit you lost!”

Scorpius chased a laughing Teddy all over the night sky.

____________________

“See you, Harry!” Teddy raced over to Harry, giving him a quick, one-armed hug.
“Fourth year already, eh?”

293
“They grow up so fast,” Harry said in sickly sweet voice; Teddy laughed.

“Hey, Harry, can you do me a favour?”

“Yes?” Harry said suspiciously.

“Get with Draco, yeah? Because I really want those five galleons. And Scorpius will
have to do my homework for a week.”

Harry watched, open-mouthed, as Teddy ran off to jump onto the train.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked.

“My godson made a bet on my love-life. I’m going to kill him.”

Draco smiled and led the way to his car. Harry and Teddy had carpooled with Draco
and Scorpius, much to the latter’s joy.

“I’ll really miss him,” Harry sighed, getting into the Audi.

“You’ll see him in a few months, for Christmas,” Draco said.

The drive home was relatively uneventful, both men locked in different worlds. Harry
hesitated to say anything, ask anything. Without the boys, what excuse did he have to
see Draco? Absolutely none. He wouldn’t see Draco until Christmas.

“Harry?” Draco asked, pulling him from his daydreams.

“Hmm?”

294
“Do you want to hear me practice a piece?” Draco asked. “I have a performance
tomorrow, and I’d like a test audience.”

Harry glanced at Draco, but he was staring resolutely ahead at the road. Draco
Malfoy was scared, Harry realised. He didn’t know where he stood either.

“Sounds good,” Harry said quietly.

____________________

It was ten o’clock at night. Draco had decided to play all the performance pieces and
Harry was only too delighted to listen. As Draco finished the last piece, he began
slackening his bow, ready to pack it away, but Harry touched his arm.

“Wait. I want to hear one more piece.”

“A request?” Draco smiled, but Harry remained serious.

“I want to hear Lonely Moon.”

Draco’s smile faded.

“Lonely Moon?” he murmured.

“Yes. I want to hear my song.”

Draco said nothing, flipping through the music sheets scattered around the floor
before picking up a particularly tattered one. He tightened the bow again, soothed it
with rosin, and began.

295
How very different, Harry thought, from the performance pieces, all so short and
peppy, with quick light notes and dramatic long ones and crashing crescendos, soft
arpeggios. They held so much variety, but in Harry’s song, it was all long, soft,
melancholy notes. Long after Draco finished with the last note, it still lingered in the
air, a lonely echo.

“It’s beautiful,” Harry said, and hesitated. “But...so sad. Am I a sad person?”

“No,” Draco said quietly. “No, you’re not.”

“Then why does it sound so sad?” Harry asked.

Now it was Draco’s turn to hesitate. “Because that’s how you make me feel,” he said
finally.

Harry turned away. He made Draco feel sad? Excellent. Perfect. That’s exactly how
he wanted Draco to feel.

“Do I ever make you feel sad?” Draco asked him.

And Harry suddenly knew exactly what he meant. He met Draco’s clear grey eyes
and was amazed at how close they suddenly were.

“Sometimes,” Harry murmured.

“Yes, sometimes,” Draco repeated softly.

Their lips met and Harry brought his hand up automatically, cupping Draco’s face,
his fingers resting along his cheekbone, savouring the softness of the kiss —

296
The bow fell, clattering onto the floor, and Draco broke away. He went to pick it up
then seemed to change his mind, straightening back up.

“Please, just tell me,” he said. “What’s going on between us? What do you want?”

Harry opened his mouth.

____________________

“You said what?”

“I know, I know,” Harry groaned, burying his face in his hands. Hermione stared at
him in horror.

“He asked you what you wanted, and you said you really, really wanted to be
anywhere but there?” Hermione asked, apparently still having problems accepting
this. “Harry, what on earth were you thinking?”

“I’ve said some pretty stupid things,” Ron said, eating a cupcake. “But that really
takes the cake. You know it’s bad when you beat me in the stupid stakes.”

“Ron, you’re not helping,” Hermione snapped, before turning back to Harry with a
worried expression. “Harry, please explain the logic here. What were you thinking?”

Harry shrugged helplessly, morosely accepting a cupcake from Ron.

“Well,” Hermione said, “the situation is still salvageable, I think. You like him, yes?”

Harry shrugged again and Hermione growled impatiently.

297
“You either like him or you don’t, make up your mind.”

“I dunno, I’ve always liked women, haven’t I? Before he came along. So, logically, I
can’t like him because I don’t like men.”

“He’s clearly been slipping you some gay potion in your raspberry tea,” Ron said.

“What?” Harry stared at him. “Really?”

“Harry, there’s no such thing,” Hermione snapped, Ron roaring with laughter behind
her. “Ron, could you please be a little sensitive?”

“Oh, come on, you should’ve seen his face.” Nevertheless, Ron straightened up,
brushing cupcake crumbs from his robes. “Okay. Sorry, mate. But lighten up, you’re
just having a little moment.”

“A little moment?” Harry asked incredulously. “Your best mate is in love with Draco
Malfoy, and you sit around eating cupcakes and joking?”

“Ah, so you are in love,” Hermione pounced.

“What were you expecting, a tantrum?” Ron asked Harry. “Quite frankly, I’m not
that fussed. He seems to have grown up and gotten a lot more civil along the way.
Anyway, Teddy clued me in months ago. But if it makes you feel better, I can throw
some cupcakes at you, shout a few things, then storm out dramatically.”

“You’re not throwing my cupcakes anywhere!” Hermione said. “I spent ages icing
them, and they’re meant for guests, Ron.”

298
“So? I’m a guest.”

“I mean people who are invited here,” muttered Hermione.

“I’m having a dilemma here,” Harry said loudly, and they turned back to him.

“Right. Sorry,” Ron said.

“Well,” Hermione said tentatively, “how did he react? When you told him you’d
rather be anywhere else?”

Harry sighed, examining the icing on the cupcake critically. “He didn’t do anything.”

“Well, what did he say?”

“Nothing.”

“What did he look like?” Hermione tried.

“I don’t know. Neutral.”

“Ah,” Ron said sagely. “Now I can empathise with you. Big problem, interpreting
female expressions.”

“He’s not female,” Harry pointed out. “And it’s just his expressions I have issues with.
I don’t have a problem with everyone else. For example, right now, Hermione is
looking anxious.”

“Amazing,” Ron said. “How did you do that?”

299
“Oh, there are classes you can attend,” Harry said seriously.

“Really?” Ron’s face brightened hopefully.

Harry went back to his cupcake, Hermione sniggering beside him.

“That was revenge for my gay potion jibe, wasn’t it?” Ron asked.

“Okay, look,” Hermione took control again. “What did you do after you’d said that?
Did you try to talk to him or apologise or did he leave or — ”

Harry looked up at her, squirming.

“Oh, no,” Hermione said warningly. “What did you do?”

Harry mumbled something.

“What?”

“I Disapparated, alright!”

“Harry! You never Disapparate in someone’s home!” Hermione was outraged, Ron
was amazed.

“The stupid stakes just get higher,” he muttered.

“Shut up, Ron. Harry, what do you mean by Disapparated? Immediately afterwards,
or — ”

300
“I don’t know...I mean, after about half a minute of silence. I didn’t want it to get
awkward.” Harry looked up at her like a child caught kicking the dog.

“So, let me get this straight,” Hermione said slowly. “You kissed, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And...he returned the kiss?”

“Well, he wasn’t running away screaming or trying to beat me up.”

“Okay,” Hermione said. “I’ll put that down as a yes. And then he asked you what you
wanted, and you said ‘I really, really want to be anywhere but here.’ And then you
Disapparated.”

“Okay,” Harry said, “I can see how this looks.”

“Yeah, it looks like you’re a total bastard,” Ron said, licking icing off his fingers.

“Ron!” Hermione hissed.

“What? I’m just saying what you were all thinking.”

“Oh, Merlin,” Harry groaned, burying his head in his hands again.

“Calm down,” Hermione said soothingly. “I’m sure all of this can be sorted out, you
just need to talk to him — ”

“I’m not talking to him,” Harry said quickly.

301
“Why not?” Hermione asked, surprised.

“Um...”

“Wow,” Ron said. “I’d hate to be in love with someone terrifies me.”

“He doesn’t terrify me,” Harry sighed in exasperation. “He just...he’s...it’s impossible
to tell what he’s thinking, that’s all, and...er....”

“Fear of rejection,” Hermione said. “It happens to all of us. But someone’s got to
make the first move or we’d all end up nowhere.”

“I did make the first move,” Harry pointed out.

“Yeah, and you ran away afterwards like a scared little schoolgirl,” Ron grinned.

“Ron!” Hermione snapped. “That’s it, I am so sick of your insensitivity and complete
lack of tact! Do you have to be so negative all the time? And you’ve got icing all over
my brand new armchair, I specifically asked you not to eat in the living room — ”

Harry sighed, loudly, and they both turned to look at him.

“Oh, quit whining about it,” Hermione snapped. “So you got scared and made a
mistake, like everyone else in the world. Here’s what you do: Go under your bed, get
out the dusty little shoebox, get your courage out of it, and go apologise.”

“She knows how to pack a punch,” Ron muttered to Harry. “And she knows about
the shoeboxes under your bed.”

Harry couldn’t help it. A smile tugged at his lips.

302
“There you go,” Ron said, satisfied. “I knew I’d get a grin out of you. See, Hermione?
I made him feel better, whereas you just yelled at him. Who’s insensitive now?”

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

Harry hastily left.

____________________

Draco played beautifully.

Harry watched, far above, as Draco played, his face filled with serious concentration.
When he had a break in his music, he remained with his arm held ready, his wrist
flexing, his fingers balancing lightly on the strings, ready at any moment to rearrange
themselves and create beautiful notes. Harry liked listening, liked trying to separate
the cello from the rest. He was never educated in classical music, fine art, all the
cultured things, but now he wished he had at least some knowledge of it. He wanted
to be able to separate all the instruments, hear them together and yet apart. He could
already pick out the violins, the violas, and of course the double bass. The double
bass was unmistakeable, thrumming deep and low beneath the strong cello and
lighthearted violins. The string quartet had been last in the medley; Harry decided
they were the best, next to a piano solo and a nervous but experienced violinist.

When the set had finished he made his way downstairs and waited just outside the
lobby, in the pouring rain. He could have waited inside but he liked the rain. It
reminded him of Draco, that day at the station, where he and Draco had dashed,
laughing, through the rain together.

303
He waited and waited, getting steadily soaked. The audience bustled through the
doors in a rush, then a few stragglers, then one or two lingering for a cigarette. At last
the orchestra began to file through, holding their instruments, laughing and talking to
each other. First the flutists, then the violas, the violinists...Harry liked the violinists.
They were smiling at each other and he could tell they were old friends. Perhaps
they’d studied at the same college, practised in the same places, played in the same
venues.

Draco was the last out, drawing a scarf about his neck, buttoning his coat, setting his
battered cello case down on the pavement momentarily. His eyes met Harry’s briefly,
as one would glance at a stranger lingering nearby. He glanced at Harry a second
time, then exhaled, his breath silver in the cold August air.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I came to watch you play.”

Draco said nothing, picking up his cello and walking past him.

“I liked the piano solo,” Harry said, picking up pace beside him. “What was that song
called?”

“No. 14 in C Sharp Minor “Quasi una fantasia”, Op. 27, no. 2,” Draco said.

“Oh.”

“Also known as the Moonlight Sonata,” Draco said, his voice softening a little. “One
of Beethoven’s most well-recognised compositions.” He paused, reaching the train
station. “Are you going to follow me all the way home?”

304
Harry shrugged.

“That might be construed as slightly creepy.”

This didn’t appear to bother Harry; he merely asked for a one-way on the Bakerloo
line and followed Draco aboard.

“You could just Disapparate home,” Draco sighed.

“Or you could just talk to me.”

“About what?”

“Anything,” Harry replied.

“I don’t want to talk about anything,” Draco said, gazing out the window, his grey
eyes unreadable.

“Okay, I’ll give you something to talk about. How about this: Scorpius sent me a
letter.”

“He did?”

“Yes.”

Draco looked doubtful and Harry produced a letter from his pocket, smiling. On the
front, in Scorpius’s instantly recognisable and terrible handwriting, was:

Professor McAwesome Potter,

417 Tulip Hill Rd,

305
Tulip Hill

Draco reached out a hand but Harry quickly folded the letter away.

“A very interesting letter, I’d have to say,” he said.

Draco said nothing, resuming watching the scenery. For a long time there was silence
between them.

“Alright,” Draco said shortly. “I’ll bite. What did it say?”

“I’ll give you the letter,” Harry said.

Draco waited.

“As soon as you invite me over,” Harry finished.

“Why bother?” Draco asked. “Why bother with an invitation? Why don’t you just
Apparate into the middle of my lounge?”

“Do you know how to put up Anti-Disapparition wards?”

“No,” Draco snapped.

“Excellent, I’ll come over and put some up for you.”

Draco didn’t say anything for the rest of the trip.

____________________

306
True to his word, Harry began work straight away on the wards, muttering
complicated spells under his breath and holding his wand steady. Draco ignored him
for the entire hour it took to raise the wards, lying on the sofa reading a book. Snow
Falling on Cedars, Harry noted.

Harry murmured something and drew his wand in a straight line. A thin gold thread
appeared and he nodded in satisfaction, setting about creating a second thread, a
third, until he finally joined them all up, creating a perfect square which shimmered
for a moment before imploding.

“There you go,” Harry said. “Finished.” He walked up to Draco’s kitchen counter
and tossed the letter upon it. “There you go. Do you want to test the wards?”
Draco shrugged, turning the page of his book. Harry wandered over and took hold of
his hand.

“Hey — ” Draco said, just before they Disapparated together with a loud crack,
directly outside Draco’s front gate. Before Draco could move, they Apparated back
into the living room.

“Huh,” Harry said. “Works perfectly.”

“What are you talking about?” Draco snapped. “Nothing worked.”

Harry smiled and Disapparated.

____________________

Hey Professor,

307
Listen I don’t know what you’ve done to my dad but he hasn’t owled me for like two weeks and Teddy
and I have both agreed you must’ve done something or gone away maybe coz Dad’s always real happy
when you’re around.

Anyway Teddy says you’d tell him if you went away, so the only solution left is you did something
mean to Dad, which is seriously uncool, or gotten back with that Weasley chick (which is even more
uncool). Also Teddy says he’ll be really annoyed too if you’ve gotten back with her.

Anyway just go and cheer Dad up again, I bet Teddy five galleons that you guys didn’t fancy each
other, but it’s pretty obvious so if you could just snog Dad for me that’d be nice. And I mean, this is a
pretty huge sacrifice on my part, I’m giving up a whole five galleons just so my Dad can get some.
He’d better be fucking grateful.

Anyway this is the longest letter I’ve ever written (another sacrifice) and Teddy keeps wanting me to
add all this shit in, I’d tell him to fuck off but he’s helping me with my spelling (seriously sacrifice
has too many i’s). Teddy also says I shouldn’t swear in letters but who gives.

See ya,
Scorpius

PS Teddy’s being annoying, so you know what, sir? HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND. Yeah, if he didn’t
want me to fucking tell you, maybe he shouldn’t be pissing me off about my fucking spelling —

Draco fumed, dropping the letter.

He was going to have Words with Scorpius.

____________________

“I was only trying to be nice!”

308
“Scorpius, just leave it, alright? And you can reclaim your five galleons, because
nothing’s going on.”

“But — ”

“And stop bothering Harry.”

Draco angrily got to his feet, turning to face Ron and Hermione.

“Thank you for letting me use your fireplace,” he said coldly.

“You’re, um, welcome,” Hermione said, slightly nervous. “Is there anything else we
can help with? You seem a little...um...”

“Migraine,” Draco said shortly, his stock excuse. “And Harry did something to my
house.”

“He didn’t!” Hermione gasped. “What did he do?”

“He told me he was putting up Anti-Apparition wards, but they don’t work so clearly
he was doing something else.”

“Oh,” Hermione said, chewing her lip. “That doesn’t sound good. Maybe he just
made a mistake with the wards. Do you want me to have a look?”

____________________

Hermione and Ron stood outside his house, frowning.

309
“There’s definitely something there,” Hermione said. “A barrier or ward of some sort.
Well, let’s see you try and Apparate inside, Malfoy.”

Draco Disapparated and a long silence followed, Hermione looking anxiously

towards the house. In the next moment, Draco reappeared by her side.

“Oh,” Hermione said. “I see the problem. Clearly there’s some kind of gap...”

“D’you want me to have a look at the ward from the inside?” Ron asked, stretching
lazily. Draco nodded his consent and Ron Disapparated with a loud crack, only to
reappear a second later, looking quite ruffled.

“Ran into something halfway! Definitely a ward up! Merlin, I nearly splinched myself.
Harry better have a good explanation.”

“Really?” Hermione asked, frowning. “That’s really odd, it’s — oh.”

“What?” Draco asked, his heart sinking.

“Blood wards,” Hermione breathed. “He’s designed wards that allow only you into
the house. That’s really complicated, really difficult magic.”

“He was able to Apparate too,” Draco said softly. Hermione bit her lip.

“Blood wards, letting only you and him into the house then. I’m really
sorry...but...wow...that’s really complicated. The more people allowed through, the
harder the magic is to work...” She paused. “I’ll see if I can get someone in to sort
them out. I’m really not experienced enough to be dealing with these sorts of
wards...”

310
“Leave them,” Draco said quietly.

“What?” Hermione looked at him, confused.

“Leave them,” Draco repeated. “Leave them up. Let him come and go.”

____________________

“Harry James Potter!”

“Ouch!” Harry ducked a spell, leaping up from his sofa. “What the — ”

“You’d better go and apologise to him right now, you ungrateful little — ”

“Sod?” Ron suggested. Hermione paused.

“No, something stronger.”

“How about tosser?”

“No, I really don’t feel comfortable using that word.”

“Git?”

“ — git!” Hermione finished. “I don’t know what you think you’re playing at, but
you’d better go right now and take down that stupid ward — well, alright, not really
stupid, it’s a very impressive bit of magic, but — ”

“You’re losing him, Hermione,” Ron pointed out as Harry’s expression of terror was
replaced by one of confusion and then indignation.

311
“Losing him? I’m not the only one losing somebody!” Hermione shouted, picking up
slack again. Harry dodged another spell. “You stupid idiot, all that advice I gave you
about talking to him and making things up and you go and screw it all up again! Stop
doing stupid things, you thoughtless, selfish prat!”

“Idiot? Prat? Wow, you’ve made her really mad,” Ron told Harry, stretching back on
the sofa.

“And what about your shoebox? Still under the bed, isn’t it!” Hermione yelled,
striding down the hallway and reappearing looking mildly surprised. “Look, there
really is a shoebox.”

“Filled with courage,” Ron said encouragingly, steering Hermione back on track.

“Yes! But it’s still dusty and forgotten and filled with,” — the lid fell off —
“...seashells? Oh. That’s a little odd.”

“I collected them a few months ago from the beach and put them along the
windowsill,” Harry explained. “But whenever I shut the curtains they got it in the
way, so I put them into storage.”

“You could put them along the spice shelf in the kitchen, they’d look really good
there,” Hermione suggested.

“Hermione!” Ron said sharply. “Stay on track! Remember, we’re really angry with
Harry, aren’t we?”

“You just want to see me get my arse kicked, don’t you?” Harry said accusingly.
Hermione rounded on Ron too.

312
“Yes, and what do you mean we’re angry? You’re just lazing there whilst I try to pick
up the pieces! Thanks for all your input!”

“Yes, thanks so much for your support!” Harry added.

“Alright, alright,” Ron said quickly, slightly alarmed. “Look, I think it was a pretty
underhanded thing for Harry to do, putting up blood wards like that. But still, what’s
done is done, isn’t it? And I think Harry should just say sorry in the best way he
knows how. To say sorry to Hermione you just grovel, and to say sorry to you, Harry,
you just admit you’re wrong and shake hands, and to say sorry to Ginny you give her
a hug, and to say sorry to Neville you give him an interesting cactus or something...so
obviously there’s a way to say sorry to Draco, and Harry hasn’t figured it out yet so
he’s just going around doing stupid things until he works it out.”

Hermione and Harry stared at him.

“Ron,” Harry said, “that’s really...insightful.”

Hermione looked teary-eyed.

Ron exhaled with relief.

____________________

Once upon a time, there were three leaves that fell from the same tree, although all were different. One
was a heart-shaped gossamer leaf, one was an oak leaf, and one was a cedar leaf. The oak leaf fell in
autumn and drifted downwards until he landed in the ocean, where stormy waters tattered him and
calm waters soothed him.

313
The cedar leaf fell in summer and he landed in long green grass, where the sun warmed him and the
dew cooled him.

However, the heart-shaped gossamer leaf fell in February on a strange, windy day with moody skies
and sun-showers. And the wind picked him straight up and carried him away. He skimmed over
water and brushed through long grass, until the wind picked him up higher and higher. Then he flew
past the treetops, past houses, past steeples and kites. There he met bird, a raven, who asked him
where he was going.
He said he did not know, so the raven picked him up and flew higher and higher with him, towards
the setting sun.

The gossamer leaf had aways looked downwards on his tree and had never seen the night sky before.
The raven asked him if he wanted to see the stars.

No, the gossamer leaf said.

So the raven dropped him and the leaf fell away into darkness.

It is easy to see why the raven dropped him, but not easy for the gossamer leaf. The gossamer leaf did
not know what a star was and was afraid to say yes to the unknown.
So the gossamer leaf fell into darkness and far out of reach of star and bird.

“That’s a sad story,” Hermione said. “Did you write it?”

“Yes,” Harry said, folding it into the envelope.

“You’re sending Malfoy a sad children’s story?” Hermione asked.

“It’s my way of apologising,” Harry said. “He’ll understand.”

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But uncertainty beat its wings in his stomach as he inked Draco’s name and address
onto the envelope and gave it to Hermione’s owl.

He watched it fly away into darkness.

____________________

Maybe they just let go.

Harry sighed, examining his palm, ignoring the people jogging past. He’d watched
Draco perform again but had not lingered this time. He’d left halfway through the
performance to sit in the nearby park, staring at nothing and thinking. People let go,
people moved on. And so should he. It had been a week, and no answer from Draco
He stared at the lines criss-crossing his palm. Trelawney, she had seen death in his
hands. Other people had seen light, had seen life.

A pale hand grasped his, and he glanced up, startled momentarily.

“You are such an idiot sometimes.”

“I know,” Harry said.

They kissed.

____________________

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”

“Shut up.”

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“You owe me five galleons, excellent, just in time for Christmas — ”

“Shut up.”

“Who’s the winner now, eh? Yeah! Come on, cough up — ”

“Just ignore them,” Draco sighed, steering smoothly round a corner.

“At least they’re taking the news well,” Harry shrugged.

“Are you sure? Because I think your godson is getting beaten up.”

Harry twisted round, alarmed.

“Scorpius! You put that pudding down right now!”

“Sir, why is there a pudding back here?” Scorpius asked, stopping mid-swing.

“Hermione gave it to us,” Harry said. Teddy groaned.

“I’m not touching it. Scorpius, don’t touch it. It’s like eating a cow-pat that’s been
frozen rock solid and then iced,” Teddy said. Harry smiled reluctantly as Draco
started laughing.

“I’ll tell Hermione you said that,” Harry told Teddy.

“I’ll tell her what you said about her fruit mince pies,” Teddy said meanly.

“Point taken.”

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“So, what’d you get me for Christmas?” Scorpius demanded, sticking his head
between the two front seats.

“A lump of coal,” Draco sighing. “I’m already looking forward to the end of
Christmas break.” He looked suspiciously at Scorpius. “Is your seatbelt on?”

“Yeah, course it is.” Scorpius discreetly put it on.

“Scorpius, that’s really dangerous,” Draco said with exasperation.

“Yeah? Well I don’t think you should hold hands with someone when you’re driving,”
Scorpius retorted. “You can’t drive with one hand.”

“Watch me.”

Harry gazed out the window, smiling.

____________________

“Should old acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind,
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In days of auld lang syne!”

The crowds cheered, the champagne flowed. Harry found Draco outside, gazing at
the stars.

“Not having a smoke, are you?”

“I decided to quit the day you told me you didn’t like it,” Draco replied.

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“What, that day in Hogsmeade?”

Draco smiled and Harry leaned forwards, capturing his lips.

“Oh Merlin, kill me now,” Ron muttered behind them. “What a great start to the
New Year, I think I’m going to be sick — ”

Harry felt Draco’s lips curve into a smile beneath his own and couldn’t help but smile
too, wrapping his arms around Draco’s waist and breaking the kiss to rest his
forehead against Draco’s.

“So,” he grinned, raising his voice so Ron could hear. “Your place or mine?”

____________________

The door slammed open.

“Hey Dad, Teddy and I can’t figure out how to turn the oven on properly and — oh.”
Scorpius stared at Draco, who reached out sleepily and grabbed the alarm clock.

“Eight o’clock? Bloody hell.”

“Mmm, who cares,” Harry said, reaching out and pulling Draco closer to him.

Scorpius shot out the door, apparently to discuss things with Teddy.

“Well?” came Teddy’s impatient voice. “Which dial do we use?”

“I dunno, him and Harry are in there naked — ”

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“What?”

“We’re not naked!” Draco said loudly. Scorpius appeared in the doorway.

“Oh yeah? Then how about you come over here and tell me that?”

There was a pause. Draco didn’t move.

“I thought so,” Scorpius said triumphantly, and marched out the door.

“Eight o’clock. I’m going to kill him,” Draco sighed.

“Kill him later, in the afternoon,” Harry said sleepily.

“Okay, so not meaning to intrude on your sexy time, but those pancakes won’t cook
themselves — ”

“Get out!” Draco groaned as Harry hurled a pillow at Scorpius. He ducked, grinning.

“Okay, okay.” He retreated.

“Sexy time?” Harry asked, smiling. Draco laughed.

“I’m really awake now,” he said. “I’ll never get back to sleep. I hate him. Accio pillow,”
he added, catching the pillow and handing it to Harry with a yawn.

They snuggled for a while, Harry drifting in and out of sleep.

“We forgot to close the curtains last night.”

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“Yes, but we had to watch all those fireworks,” Harry mumbled, a tiny smile on his
face.

“What are you thinking about?” Draco asked, noticing his smile.

“You.”

“What about me?” Draco asked suspiciously.

“A very smooth Accio spell. With my wand, too. I’m impressed.”

Draco sat up. “I didn’t...I didn’t even think about it.”

“See,” Harry said. “Your magic came back to you, fourteen years later.”

“Amongst other things,” Draco said, smiling.

But Harry was already asleep.

____________________

“Lawson, Nathan.”

Somebody settled down next to Harry and he turned, glaring.

“You nearly missed it!” he hissed.

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“Oh, I did not. Calm down,” Draco said soothingly. “I left in the middle of J, and
they still had all those awful Jacobson triplets to go through. Reminds me of the
Weasleys.”

Harry laughed despite himself but straightened up. Draco glanced at him, smiling, as
they read out the names.

“Lovett, Reica. Loxin, Charles.” McGonagall drew another breath. “Lupin,

Theodore.”

Teddy strode up to take his certificate and stand with his fellow graduates, winking
devilishly at his girlfriend.

“He looks so tall,” Harry murmured. “I can’t believe he’s seventeen already...”

“You’re not going to cry, are you?” Draco teased. Harry laughed, shaking his head,
and the next name was called out.

“Malfoy, Scorpius.”

Draco’s hand instinctively tightened around Harry’s as Scorpius bounded up to

accept his certificate. Instead of the traditional handshake, he embraced McGonagall.
Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline as the students laughed, Scorpius
grinning madly away.

“Is McGonagall blushing?” Draco asked disbelievingly. “That old minx!” But Harry
could tell he was proud, watching Scorpius stand next to Teddy, the two swapping
roguish grins.

“He’s not winking at anyone,” Harry observed.

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“Course not, he’s got three girlfriends. Can’t give the game away.”

“Mancini, Leonardo,” McGonagall said, and Leo hurtled across to her. She shook her
head in despair at his lopsided tie and inkstained hands; he just grinned and accept
his scroll, joining his friends.

“Look at them,” Harry said, “all ready to leave Hogwarts forever, go out and find
themselves.”

“Don’t cry, you’ll embarrass them.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going to. I think the Jacobson mother is doing enough crying for
everyone. Oh, here we go with the awards...”

Draco glanced towards the front of the Great Hall again, applauding politely as the
Duxes were handed out.

“Dux of Defence Against the Dark Arts...Theodore Lupin!”

Teddy hurried forwards, accepting the certificate and returning to his seat just in time
to be called back up again — to much laughter — to collect his Dux of Advanced
Potions award. Scorpius and Leo slapped Teddy on the back as he returned to his seat
for the second time. On Harry’s other side, Andromeda dabbed discreetly at her eyes.
McGonagall cleared her throat and read out the next award.

“Dux of Care of Magical Creatures...Scorpius Malfoy.”

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If Scorpius was pleasantly surprised, he didn’t let on. He accepted the certificate and
returned to his gobsmacked class, looking as though he regularly received academic
awards.

“Dux...” whispered Draco.

“You’re not going to cry, are you?” Harry said mockingly.

Draco just smiled quietly.

____________________

In the end, Scorpius triumphantly emerged with two Duxes: Care of Magical
Creatures and Herbology.

“You two don’t have to look so amazed,” Scorpius said breezily when he met them
later by the lake. “I find that rather offensive.”

“You can go if you want,” Teddy said, piling his various awards into Harry’s arms.
“The other parents are leaving...”

“Alright, alright, we take the hint,” Draco laughed. “I’ll whisk Harry away before he
embarrasses everyone and begins sobbing over the two of you.”

Harry just laughed, but couldn’t help and reach out to ruffle Teddy’s hair. He
sidestepped him neatly.

“Don’t mess it up, please.”

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“He spent five hours in the bathroom this morning,” Scorpius said wickedly. “Got to
look good for his girl.”

“Whereas you don’t bother to look good for three girls,” Teddy retorted, loosening his
tie a little. Scorpius just smiled again, his little smirk that he so clearly inherited from
his father.

“Don’t be jealous,” he teased Teddy. “Come on, we’ve got those Merlin-awful photos
to sit through. We’ll see you on Platform 9¾,” he told Harry and Draco.

“We’ll be waiting.”

Scorpius and Teddy were soon swallowed up in the chaos, converged upon by
congratulatory classmates, by friends hollering and laughing and flinging their arms
around each other, bellowing out the school song as if they were drunk. Harry and
Draco watched them disappear into the castle, the grounds becoming empty and still
again.

“There they go,” Harry said. “Our two prodigies.”

“There they go,” Draco repeated, gazing across the summer-hazed grounds, the lake
as still as a mirror. In the distance, the Whomping Willow stirred lazily.

And then the summer, so damply hot and smudgy-skied, opened up with a
thunderous noise as the clouds tore apart, the rain suddenly streaming down. Harry
and Draco laughed at each other, their shirts soaked to their skins, their hair already
darkening with droplets. They ran on through the grounds of their childhood,
through the wide quidditch pitch where they had chased each other and their dreams,
past the lake with the rain dappling across its surface, the forest where the water ran
down the boughs.

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And then they were at the gates, running through them, laughing into the rain and
holding each other as though they would never let go.

And, far behind them, within the ancient halls of Hogwarts, Teddy and Scorpius
raced joyfully through the corridors, tracing the footsteps of long-ago enemies.

____________________

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Notes:
‘The Princess and the Moon’, ‘Aria’, and ‘The Gossamer Leaf ’ are original stories written by myself (eleventy7). The poem beginning
with the line ‘I pray for the moon to forever wane’ is also an original piece.

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