Albus Potter and the Pureblood's Secret

26. The Verdict

As it turned out, Dawlish was wrong about how long the Wizengamot would deliberate. They deliberated straight through Friday, Saturday, and most of Sunday, leaving all of wizarding Britain on the edges of their seats, unable to think of anything but the impending decision. Between the uncertainty of the outcome of the trial, Matt’s breakdown, and Professor Burke’s sudden decline, Albus and his friends couldn’t concentrate on homework at all. Even Rose stared at the same page in her Transfiguration book until John pointed out that she hadn’t turned the page in twenty minutes as the group studied in the Marauders’ Den Sunday afternoon.

Albus had been trying to write his Herbology essay for the past hour, but only had four sentences written down. He, John, and Rose were seated around the table, none of them getting any work done. Amanda was laying on the couch, her Defense book open in her stomach, but her eyes were focused on the ceiling. Kaden had been in Professor Burke’s brewing room since breakfast and no one had seen him since.

“Albus, did you ever talk to Lily after Thursday?” Rose asked suddenly.

“No. Why?”

“When Matt had his first panic attack that day, Lily came and got me. I assume she was in the common room?” Rose said.

Albus had forgotten about that. “Right. Yeah, she wandered down. Bloody good thing she did, too. Not sure how I would’ve gotten you otherwise.”

Rose sighed. “Well, she saw Matt in the throes of his worst panic attack ever. You better make sure she didn’t tell anyone what she saw. What was she doing in the common room at six in the morning anyway?”

Albus shrugged. “No idea. I’ll go find her.” Albus wasn’t worried about Lily saying anything. If Albus told her not to, she wouldn’t. Lily was far too absorbed in her own life to think much about what Matt was going through. Albus doubted she even remembered it.

It took Albus half an hour to track Lily down, but he eventually found her on the grounds by the lake, despite the fact that it was cold, windy, and snowy outside. She also was not alone. She was sitting with a boy Albus vaguely recognized and judging from his black and yellow scarf, he was a Hufflepuff. The two were sitting very close together.

“Lily?” Albus asked as he approached them from behind.

Lily jumped, causing the boy to tumble off the log they were sitting on. He stood up quickly and put his arm around Lily’s back.

“Albus!” Lily shouted. “Why would you do that?!”

“How else was I supposed to get your attention? Can I talk to you…alone?”

Lily sighed and turned to the boy. “Pat, I’ll meet you back in the castle, okay? Wait for me in the Entrance Hall.”

Pat nodded, gave Lily a quick kiss on her cheek, and took off. Lily sat back down on the log and Albus sat next to her.

“This isn’t another brother lecture, is it?” Lily asked. “Because if it is, you and James can shove-“

“It isn’t that,” Albus interrupted. “I didn’t even know you and….”

“Pat Harnett,” Lily supplied.

“…Pat Harnett were a couple,” Albus finished. “Do you remember Thursday? When you were up at six in the morning and Matt and I were in the common room?”

Lily blushed. “Al! You said it wasn’t about Pat!”

“It isn’t,” Albus said flatly. “Why? What does Pat have to do with Thursday?”

Lily’s cheeks turned even redder. “Nothing. Continue.”

Albus decided to just let the Pat thing go. “It’s about Matt.”

“He looked really ill,” Lily said, furrowing her brow. “Was he?”

“In a sense,” Albus said.

“Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah. He’s at home for a few days until he gets better. But Lily? Have you told anyone that you saw him like that?”

Lily shook her head. “The health of your friends doesn’t really have anything to do with me. It hasn’t come up.”

Classic Lily. Albus couldn’t help but smile. “Good. Don’t tell anyone.”

Lily shrugged. “Okay. Is that all?”

“That’s all. Now about you and Pat-“

“Albus!” Lily shrieked.

Albus laughed. “Kidding, Lily. Just kidding.”

“You’re as bad as James sometimes,” Lily huffed. She stood up and stalked off toward the castle, leaving Albus laughing on the log.

Sometimes, Albus was really grateful for Lily’s self-centeredness. Standing up, he gazed out at the lake. It wasn’t frozen yet, but it was nearly there. A thin layer of snow sat on top of it and the Giant Squid poked a tentacle through, then let it fall back into the lake.

“Potter!”

Albus turned and groaned inwardly when he saw Scorpius Malfoy waltzing toward him. With everything else on his mind, the last thing Albus wanted was a conversation with Malfoy.

“What are you doing out here, Malfoy?” Albus asked. “It’s freezing.”

“Fancied a walk,” Malfoy said. “I could ask the same about you.”

“What do you want?” Albus asked shortly. He was not in the mood for this.

Malfoy smirked. “My father told me your mate, Eckerton, put on quite the show at the Boone trial the other day.”

Albus’s heart plummeted into his stomach. “How did your dad know about that?”

“My dad’s on the Wizengamot,” Malfoy said haughtily. Albus could’ve sworn he puffed his chest out as he said it.

“I thought your dad was a Death Eater,” Albus said flatly. Albus’s own father had been offered a seat on the Wizengamot, but he turned it down.

Malfoy’s smirk turned into a scowl. “He was cleared of those charges. With the help of your father, I might add. I wonder what Boone’s attorney was thinking, putting Eckerton on the stand. He runs out of class all shaky at least once a week. Yet the professors never seem to care. I suppose the attorney thought it would help having another werewolf there. Too bad it only made things worse.”

“Oh shut up,” Albus snapped. “Matt leaving class is none of your business. And you’ve got no idea what the Wizengamot is going to decide. They’ve been sequestered since Friday.”

Malfoy shrugged, the smirk back on his face. “I know what the Minister would want, and I know she’s got pull with the Wizengamot.”

“The Wizengamot is impartial.”

“The Wizengamot is supposed to be impartial. Clearly you’ve got no future in politics.”

“I’m not losing any sleep over that,” Albus muttered. “I have no plans to get into politics.”

Malfoy laughed. “Hopefully Eckerton doesn’t either. Probably couldn’t get through a speech without cracking up. Mental, that one.”

Albus plunged his arm into his robes and drew out his wand. He sent a bat-bogey hex at Malfoy before he even had the chance to draw his own wand from his robes. Albus was shaking with anger as he sent another hex at Malfoy. Malfoy retaliated, sending Albus backward into the log.

“Oi!”

Albus and Malfoy froze, both of their wands in midair. A large shape appeared from the swirls of snow and soon materialized into Hagrid.

“Put yer wands away,” Hagrid growled. “Up to the castle. Now.”

***

Albus sat in Professor Kendrick’s study beside Malfoy, the warmth of the fire melting the snow and ice off their robes. Hagrid stood behind them, explaining to Professor Kendrick what he saw. Hagrid hadn’t spoken a word to Albus since he found them, and Albus could feel the disappointment radiating off of him. After Hagrid finished, he excused himself to continue preparing the twelve Hogwarts Christmas trees.

“Very disappointing,” Kendrick said quietly.

“He started it,” Malfoy muttered.

“He called Matt ‘mental!’” Albus shouted.

“Enough!” Kendrick bellowed. “Detention. Both of you. Every night this week. And twenty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin. You two are sixth years, and both on your house dueling teams. And Potter, you’re a prefect. I expect better from both of you. I’m contacting your parents. Now.”

Malfoy puffed out his chest again. “Sir, my father is on the Wizengamot. You won’t be able to reach him.”

“Lucky for us the Wizengamot reached their decision half an hour ago. Your father is free.”

Albus’s heart sped up. “They did? Please, sir, what was the decision?”

Professor Kendrick sighed. “They found Boone guilty.”

“No!” Albus exclaimed.

“Told you,” Malfoy said.

Professor Kendrick shook his head sadly and strolled to the fire. He threw in a handful of Floo powder and stuck his head in the flames.

“When my father arrives I’ll tell him what an injustice this is,” Malfoy said. “I shouldn’t get detention because you hexed me.”

“I wouldn’t have hexed you if you hadn’t been insulting Matt,” Albus pointed out.

“It’s not an insult when it’s true. He is mental. He mutters under his breath to himself. He’s always twitchy and he’s always leaving class looking like he’s about to cry-“

“Shut it already!” Albus yelled. “Stop talking about things you know nothing about!”

“Quiet!” Kendrick shouted. He pulled his head out of the Floo, but the flames remained green.

A few seconds later Draco Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace, looking livid. He walked over to his son, his jaw twitching.

“Father-“ Scorpius began.

“Save it, Scorpius,” Draco interrupted. “I just spent three days shut in a room with every member of the Wizengamot, arguing the same points over and over again. Do you know what I wanted when it was finally over? A nice, hot meal cooked by your mother, and a long nap. But instead, I get a Floo call from the headmaster, telling me you have been bullying another student? That you have been making fun of his problems? Problems you know nothing about? I don’t even have words, Scorpius.”

“But, Father, Potter-“

“I do not care what Potter did. That is up to Potter’s parents to deal with. Scorpius, you know what my own Hogwarts days were like. You know that I was the bully. And you know that I have regretted it every day since then. You know that I made it my mission to ensure my son never, ever makes the same mistakes I did. So do you know how disappointed I was when I found out that you have been engaging in the same bullying behavior that I did? I am devastated, Scorpius. Devastated. That you would bully anyone over anything. But over something like this. Especially something like this!

“Do you know what that boy you’ve been making fun of has gone through in his life? Do you know his past?”

“No,” Scorpius muttered. “Do you?”

“No. That is exactly my point. It is none of our business. None. Everyone in this world has problems and it is not our place to cast judgement or make fun.”

Scorpius’s face was bright red. He wouldn’t meet his father’s gaze.

“If I ever hear of you making fun of someone over mental illness again, I will free our house elf and have you do all the cleaning while you are home. Professor Kendrick, whatever detention you’ve assigned him, double it.”

“But-“ Scorpius began.

“I do not want to hear it,” Draco said. “I will see you over Christmas.”

With a nod to Professor Kendrick, Draco Malfoy swept to the fire and was gone within seconds.

Albus didn’t even know how to react. He’d assumed Scorpius’s father would take his side, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone so angry in his life. Draco Malfoy almost seemed to take his son’s insults personally, despite the fact that they’d been directed at Matt.

“You’re dismissed, Mr. Malfoy,” Kendrick said. “Report to the Great Hall at seven tomorrow evening for your detention.”

Malfoy left and slammed the door behind him. Albus turned back to Kendrick.

“Mr. Potter, I know it is tempting to fight when someone insults your friends, but you must resist. I Flooed your father, and he wishes to see you. You’re dismissed.”

Albus left. Once at the bottom of the staircase, he ran down the hall, ignoring the stares of the two ghosts he passed. At the end of the hall, breathing hard, he leaned his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes. Boone was found guilty of a crime he could not have physically done. The government and the justice system were broken. His best friend had a mental breakdown. His Potions professor, his cousin’s mentor, was dying. And there was nothing, nothing Albus could do about any of it.

***

After a night of restless sleep, Albus stumbled down to the Great Hall for breakfast and found Rose with her head in the morning Prophet. Without looking up, she handed Albus another copy and he sat down to read it, not bothering to serve himself anything to eat.

The front page article was, of course, about the verdict in the Boone case. It featured a picture of Boone being escorted by Watkins through a crowd in the corridor outside the courtroom. He looked terrible. Albus wondered if he would even survive Azkaban.

BOONE FOUND GUILTY

After two and a half days of deliberation, the Wizengamot
returned a guilty verdict in the case of Stuart Boone vs. the
United Kingdom. Head of the Wizengamot, Nathaniel
MacMillan, declined comment. The verdict was reached
almost a week after the trial began. Four days of testimony,
from both sides, took place prior to deliberation.

‘I’m satisfied with the outcome,’ prosecutor Jackson Santiago
told Daily Prophet reporters after the announcement was
made. ‘The evidence was there, and the Wizengamot saw that.’

Defense attorney, Elroy Watkins, was not as pleased.
‘It’s outrageous,’ he said to reporters. ‘My client could not
physically have murdered Michael Sheldon. We will be
appealing the decision.’

Watkins’s third witness was sixteen-year-old Matthew
Eckerton, one of the Hogwarts students who found
Stuart Boone squatting in the Shrieking Shack last
spring. Upon taking the stand, Eckerton appeared to
take ill, and was unable to answer any questions.

When asked whether he thought the outcome would have
differed if his third witness had been able to testify, Watkins
said, ‘No. The outcome of this trial was decided long before
it even began. It was decided by the deep seated prejudice
held by the majority of the Wizengamot. This outcome is
proof we need significant changes in our government.’

Boone will be sentenced early tomorrow morning.
Minister Laurentis and Head Auror Johnson were both
unavailable for comment.

Albus set the paper down. “Was it really necessary for them to drag Matt into that? Now the whole country will know he couldn’t testify.”

“At least they said he’d taken ill,” Rose muttered. “They could’ve done a lot worse. Would have if they knew about his lycanthropy.”

“Watkins certainly put his opinions out there,” Albus said. “I think I like him a little more now.”

Rose smirked. “Keep reading, Al. You haven’t gotten to the really good part.”

“But I finished the article,” Albus said as he picked up the paper.

“Below it.”

Albus flipped to the bottom of the paper and gasped.

FIVE MEMBERS OF THE WIZENGAMOT RESIGN

In the wake of the guilty verdict in the Boone case,
five members of the Wizengamot have resigned.
Bertrand Quigley, Alexia Abbott, Lucille Waters,
Kieran O’Neill, and Verity Jones tendered their
resignations to Minister Laurentis late in the day on
Sunday, effective immediately.

‘We no longer wish to be associated with a group
that finds an innocent man guilty, despite overwhelming
doubt in the evidence,’ Jones said, speaking for all
five former members. ‘We hope to send a message
both to the Minister and to the general public that
what is going on here is wrong.’

“Has that ever happened before?” Albus asked.

“Five people quitting at once? I don’t think so,” Rose said.

“Will they replace them?”

“Possibly. Their numbers have varied as people die,” Rose pointed out. “But the Wizengamot has always at least tried to appear neutral on political issues. Well, excluding Dumbledore. They rarely take a stand like this. If people haven’t realized how corrupt the Ministry is, they will now.”

“This is insane,” Albus said as an owl dropped a letter onto his empty plate and then flew off.

“Who’s that from?” Rose asked.

“Hang on,” Albus said as he opened it. He scanned it quickly, as it was only a few sentences long. “It’s from Matt’s dad. He said I can visit tonight if I’d like. Told me I should find him at the Ministry after my internship and I can go over for dinner.”

“Good,” Rose said. “You can let us all know how Matt is doing. I hope he doesn’t read that article.”

“I’m sure his mum won’t let him,” Albus pointed out. “She’s worse than Nana Molly.”

“He’s lucky,” Rose said quietly. “If it weren’t for his parents, he could be in Boone’s situation when he leaves Hogwarts.”

Albus let his mind wander during all of his classes. He had to ask Rose if they had Defense homework and even got called out by Hagrid for not paying attention during Care of Magical Creatures. At lunch, he got chewed out by James for earning detention every night that week, meaning he’d miss three Quidditch practices. Transfiguration dragged so slowly Albus could’ve sworn the clock stopped working.

His time at the Auror Headquarters didn’t go any faster, either. Neither Johnson or Dawlish were there and Albus spent his time filing papers for Uncle Ron again. As soon as the clock hit five, he left without saying goodbye to anyone and rushed up to Mr. Eckerton’s study.

Since Matt’s house wasn’t hooked up to the Floo Network, they had to Apparate to the forest just outside the property line and walk.

“He’s doing better than he was on Thursday,” Mr. Eckerton said as they walked through the garden. “But he’s still feeling the effects of it. The slightest thing can and will set him off again. He knows Boone was found guilty, but he hasn’t read the Prophet. Please don’t mention that he was in it this morning.”

Albus nodded. “I won’t.”

Matt’s house smelled of a wood-burning stove and fresh cookies. Classical music played softly in the background. The combination of the two caused Albus to immediately relax.

“Hello, Albus,” Mrs. Eckerton said as they walked in. “Matt’s upstairs. I’ll call you both for dinner in a little while.”

Albus hurried upstairs, where he found Matt in the library. He was curled up in a large armchair and staring off into space. Albus knocked softly on the door before entering.

“Matt?” Albus said.

Matt startled and sat up straighter. “Oh, hey, Al.”

“Sorry,” Albus said as he walked in and sat down on the couch. “How are you?”

Matt shrugged. “I’m okay. Did you go to the rest of the trial on Thursday? After…you know.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t too exciting. You didn’t miss much.”

“Listen, Al…thanks for you know, trying to help…on Thursday. But there wasn’t anything you could’ve done. It got to the point where I literally could not calm down on my own. It was that bad.”

“Your dad said it wasn’t just the trial,” Albus said.

Matt nodded. “It’s been getting worse for weeks. The occlumency…it made everything worse. But I thought if I stuck with it it would eventually start working. I have to stop doing the lessons.”

“Do you know when you’re coming back?” Albus asked.

“Probably Saturday,” Matt said. “That way I can have the weekend to settle back in. But my parents are making me drop out of one of my classes. They only want me to do four.”

“Which one are you going to drop?” Albus asked.

“Probably Transfiguration,” Matt said. “It’s got the most homework out of everything I’m taking.”

“Do you think that will help?”

“I hope so,” Matt said quietly. “It’s going to give me a lot more free time, which is both good and bad. I have to meet with Healer Norlam three times a week now, so that’ll take the place of Transfiguration.”

“Three times?”

Matt nodded as he fiddled with the fringe on the blanket on his lap. “My…my parents thought about making me leave all together.”

Albus’s jaw fell open. “Leave Hogwarts?”

“Yeah, they mentioned it after I had another panic attack on Friday. For the rest of term, anyway. But Healer Norlam convinced them to go back to their original plan of just a week off. Good thing, too, because I’m already bored. And both of them are walking on eggshells around me. It’s driving me mad. Well, more mad than I already am.”

“Your dad did tell me you’re more on edge now,” Albus confessed. “He told me even little things will give you a panic attack.”

Matt sighed. “He isn’t wrong, but it’s still annoying. That’s the other thing…when I do go back to school I’ll probably leave class more often. For a few weeks anyway. Healer Norlam said it’s normal to have setbacks like this, but I hate it.”

Albus thought back to what Malfoy said on the grounds. He didn’t want to tell Matt about that altercation, but felt he should know just in case Malfoy decided to confront him when he got back. “I have to tell you something, and your dad would probably be pissed if he knew I was going to say it. But I think you have to know. It’s better to be prepared, right?”

Matt sat up straighter and his hands started shaking slightly. “Um…I don’t know, Al-“

“I swear, you won’t want to be caught off guard.”

“Okay,” Matt whispered. “What is it?”

“It’s Malfoy. He’s seen you leave class and thinks you’re going mad. His dad is on the Wizengamot and told him about what happened at the trial. I sort of got into a duel with him over it on Sunday-“

“H-he knows?” Matt asked. His hands were shaking hard now.

“No!” Albus said hurriedly. “Take a few slow breaths. In and out. In and out.”

Matt did so and his shaking subsided.

“He’s got no idea, but he and I both got detention. And his dad came and yelled at him. Really yelled. Almost as if he took it personally that Malfoy was making fun of your mental state. It was kind of weird. Malfoy’s been really subdued since, too.”

Matt wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. “Malfoy’s dad was a Death Eater, right?”

Albus nodded. “My dad said he got sucked into it by his own father, Scorpius’s grandfather.”

“He’s probably got PTSD himself,” Matt pointed out. “My dad said the majority of the people involved in the war, on both sides, do. Your dad’s got it.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if Scorpius knows,” Albus said.

Matt shrugged. “Who knows? There’s still such a stigma attached to mental illness, and it’s probably worse in old, pureblood families. The stigma, that is.”

“Which is stupid,” Albus muttered. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Matt nodded. “Me, too. But this won’t be the last time it gets worse. Healer Norlam said it’ll be a constant string of ups and downs. It’ll get better for a while and then it might get worse and then better and so on. He’ll just have to keep adjusting the amount of potion I take and I’ll be okay.”

“Good.”

“Come on,” Matt said as he got up. “Let’s play a round of Exploding Snap before dinner. I bet you a Galleon I’ll still kick your arse despite my mental state.”

Albus laughed. “You’re on.”

27. The Cave

It was hard to believe it was already December, but when Hagrid dragged the usual twelve Christmas trees into the Great Hall on the first Saturday of the month, there was no denying it. The Christmas holiday was only a few weeks away and the magical feel of it seeped its way into the castle, causing everyone to forget about the political unrest outside the castle walls, at least for a little while.

Albus muddled through his detentions and survived his death glares from James as he missed Quidditch practice, and still managed to get all his homework done. Rose agreed to take over his prefect patrols that he missed due to detention, but only because she not-so-secretly agreed with the fact that he got into it with Malfoy in order to defend Matt. Albus shared Matt’s theory about Malfoy’s father with Rose and she agreed he most likely had a case of PTSD himself.

The biggest excitement for the sixth years was that Apparition lessons would be starting after the new year. Advertisements went up in all four common rooms that first weekend in December resulting in both excitement and anxiety amongst the students. Surprisingly, the only one who didn’t seem at all nervous about the prospect of Apparition was Matt, who returned to the castle shortly after the advertisement went up in the Gryffindor common room.

“After I get my Apparition license, I won’t ever have to floo again,” Matt said after he, Albus, and John saw the flyer. “Or at least not as much.”

“How can you not be nervous about it?” John asked. “Even I’m afraid of splinching myself.”

Matt shrugged. “Probably because I’ve done it before. But splinching isn’t that bad. The healers can fix you back up again.”

John groaned. “Transportation shouldn’t require healers.”

Matt laughed. “You won’t splinch yourself forever. You’ll get better at it.”

“We’ve got to get to Quidditch practice,” Albus said. “James is holding day long practices today and tomorrow to make up for my not being at practice all week. He’s also freaking out because the scouts are coming back when we play Ravenclaw at the end of January.”

John groaned. “James is mad.”

“Have fun,” Matt said, smirking. “I’ll be in the Marauders’ Den.”

Both days’ worth of practice were long, grueling, and cold. Albus felt James was going a tad overboard and so did the rest of the team. They also blamed Albus, as he was the one who missed all three practices that week. Even John seemed a little peeved with Albus by the time evening fell on Sunday.

Albus and John returned to the Marauders’ Den, freshly showered, and found their friends in the midst of discussing the upcoming Christmas holiday.

“My cousins are staying with us over Christmas,” Amanda said. “My uncle was invited to Christmas dinner at the White House by the American president and have decided to make a holiday of it. And my cousins just want a normal holiday for once, without all the stuffy parties.”

“No stuffy parties for me this year,” Albus said as he sat down in the only vacant armchair. “Not now that Dad’s quit the Ministry.”

“You could still go with me,” Rose pointed out. “My parents will still go and they’ll drag Hugo and I along. You can keep Matt and I company.”

“I’m not going to that New Year’s Eve party this year,” Matt said adamantly. “And I doubt my parents will make me, either.”

“Will you still go to Teddy and Victoire’s wedding?” Albus asked.

“Of course I’ll go to that,” Matt said. “That’s different. And remind me to thank them for picking Christmas. Now I don’t have to go to Australia. I don’t think I could handle a plane trip.”

“Aunt Marge is visiting this year,” Kaden lamented.

“I thought she didn’t visit when you and Bethany were around,” John said.

“She’s technically visiting my grandparents. But we’re all going to their house for Christmas Eve and Christmas, so it’s the same thing. It’ll be a nightmare.”

“I can ask Dad if you can come to the wedding,” Albus suggested. “You’re family. You should be there.”

“My mum and dad will never let me go if it’s on Christmas. They’ll want me to spend time with my grandparents.”

“I’ll be babysitting my little cousins while my aunts do last minute shopping,” John muttered. “I’m tempted to spend Christmas here, but my mum would have a hippogriff. And if all of you lot are going home it’d be boring here.”

“Next year will be the last time to spend Christmas here,” Rose pointed out. “But I like going home for Christmas.”

Albus did, too, but there was something magical about a Hogwarts Christmas. His father usually spent Christmas at Hogwarts when he was a kid and remembered it fondly. James hadn’t ever spent Christmas at the castle and now never would, and Albus was nearly certain none of his cousins ever had either. Nana Molly wouldn’t be pleased if any of them ever spent Christmas at Hogwarts.

***

As December wore on the excitement about the upcoming holiday grew. A fresh blanket of snow covered the grounds during the second week of the month, which only served to shorten the attention spans of the student body even more than they already were. Even the professors got into the holiday spirit by decorating their classrooms with holly and baubles. All of them except for Professor Burke, who grew more and more ill by the day. Potions had become a glorified study hall.

Boone was sentenced to life in Azkaban, which surprised no one. The sentence was accompanied by a front page article, large photograph of Boone in the courtroom, and numerous editorials by no one qualified to speak about werewolves, trials, or murder investigations. Albus and Rose read each of these carefully, but spoke very little about them for Matt’s sake. Matt didn’t so much as glance at the photograph and immediately left the room when someone brought up Boone, not even bothering to make up an excuse for doing so. The day after Boone’s sentence was decided, Professor Cedonia wanted to moderate a healthy debate about the trial in Charms, and Matt got up and left. After class, Malfoy, who had spent all of class proclaiming what a good decision the Wizengamot had made, stopped Albus on his way down the corridor, then thought better of it and turned around. Malfoy’s father’s talk must’ve had some effect after all.

So long as no one discussed Boone or the trial in front of him, Matt seemed to be doing all right. He never spoke of what happened during the trial, and no one else brought it up. When he had to leave class at odd times, he never told Albus or Rose about it after. However, he mostly grew panicked in the crowded corridors between classes and had taken to gripping Rose’s arm tightly as they walked from class to class. Albus overheard a few Hufflepuffs speculating about whether the two were dating, but didn’t bother correcting them. It was better for the castle to believe that rumor than for the real reason to leak out.

The biggest news of the month was that Elsie had stopped showing up to Albus’s tutoring sessions. When she missed the first one of the month Albus was surprised because she hadn’t missed a single one since she first started showing up the previous year. Rose said not to think about it; Elsie was probably just ill. But then she missed another. When she missed the third Albus was certain she had decided to no longer go and that was suspicious.

“You’re reading too much into this,” Rose said as they sat in the Marauders’ Den doing homework Friday night. “Maybe she joined a club that meets at the same time.”

“Do you know of any clubs that meet Thursday nights?” Albus asked. “Besides Quidditch practice?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any,” Rose pointed out. “I’m not the expert on Hogwarts clubs.”

“Felix made her stop going,” Albus said. “Either that or she thinks she’ll accidentally tell me something she doesn’t want me to hear. After what happened in Hogsmeade she’s not as innocent as we all thought.”

“You’re obsessing, Albus,” Rose said flatly. “Even you have got to see that. Can’t you see that?”

“I’m not!” Albus said. He wished he could tell her about Dawlish and Balladanis’s plan and their suspicions of Elsie Willinson. Then it wouldn’t seem like he was obsessing. He’d already decided to spend the next day, the December Hogsmeade visit, following Elsie and Felix around the village. But he’d do it alone. “She and her brother are hiding something.”

“Albus, just listen to yourself,” Rose said as she set her quill down. “You sound bloody insane. Just because she’s related to awful people doesn’t mean-“

“I know that!” Albus interrupted. “But I’m not insane. And I’m not saying she’s doing something awful, just that maybe her family are forcing her to do something awful. There’s a difference.”

“But Al,” Rose reasoned, “her cousins are in Azkaban. They can’t do anything from there.”

“But that doesn’t mean-“

“Albus Severus Potter!” Rose shouted, slamming her hands on the table. “You. Are. Obsessing!”

“I am not!” Albus said. He turned to Matt, who was on the couch behind them. “Matt, am I obsessing?”

“A little bit,” Matt said. “And Rose, could you not slam your hands on the table?”

“Sorry,” Rose muttered. “But see? He agrees with me.”

Albus groaned. “Do you two have any plans for Hogsmeade tomorrow?” If his friends didn’t already have plans, it would be very difficult to sneak off on his own to follow Elsie and Felix.

Rose blushed and started scribbling furiously on her parchment, hiding her head behind her curtain of curly red hair.

“What?” Albus asked.

Rose lifted her head, her cheeks still bright red. “You can’t make fun of me.”

Albus really didn’t care what Rose was doing, so long as it meant she was doing something. “I promise.”

“You know those twin Slytherin boys? The seventh years?”

“Vaguely,” Albus said. The only Slytherins who weren’t in their year he knew were the ones on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

“Amanda and I are going on a double date with them,” Rose said quickly.

“Well, I suppose that’ll kill the Hufflepuff rumor that you and Matt are dating,” Albus said.

“What?!” Matt exclaimed. He got up off the couch and sat down at the table, his eyes wide. “How long has that been going on?”

Rose turned even redder, but said nothing.

“It’s because you’re always holding onto Rose’s arm in the corridors,” Albus muttered. He probably should’ve kept his mouth shut.

All the color drained from Matt’s face. “I- I thought no one had noticed that.”

“I’m pretty sure only the Hufflepuffs have,” Albus said quickly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Matt turned to Rose. “I-I’ll stop if-“

“No,” Rose interrupted. “I don’t mind when you do it. And who cares if the Hufflepuffs are gossiping?”

Matt nodded, a bit of the color returning to his face. But Albus noticed his hands were shaking pretty hard.

“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” Albus asked Matt. Time for a change of subject.

“I’m not going to Hogsmeade. Full moon is Sunday. Today has already been bad. Tomorrow will be awful. I won’t be able to go.”

Albus hoped he didn’t look too relieved. It’d be fairly easy to leave John and Kaden at Weasleys’ and the two of them wouldn’t even question Albus’s disappearance, but that wouldn’t work with Matt. Matt wouldn’t walk around Hogsmeade without Albus or Rose this soon after the incident at the trial.

“John has a date, too,” Rose announced. “He’s going with a fifth year Ravenclaw. I think her name is Eula.”

Perfect, Albus thought. Now the only person he’d have to worry about was Kaden, and Kaden would probably be perfectly content to stay at Weasleys’ even if John wasn’t there.

***

Albus got a later start than he’d planned on Saturday morning because Matt woke up in the midst of a panic attack. It took twenty minutes to calm him down enough to get to the hospital wing. After leaving Matt in the capable hands of Madam Pomfrey, Albus threw on the Invisibility Cloak and hurried down to the Entrance Hall, where he planned on waiting for Elsie and Felix.

While he waited, he saw Kaden hurry down the stairs and across the Entrance Hall to the door that led to the dungeons. Albus wondered if Kaden wasn’t even going to Hogsmeade at all, and was instead staying behind to help Professor Burke.

Half an hour later Felix and Elsie emerged from the dungeons and walked purposely across the Great Hall to the front doors. Albus had expected them to go to the Great Hall for breakfast first, but they didn’t. Cursing under his breath, for this meant he would also go without breakfast, Albus followed a few paces behind.

Neither Felix or Elsie said a word as they walked along the path to Hogsmeade. They didn’t acknowledge anyone they passed, nor did they acknowledge each other. Albus stumbled along behind them, struggling to keep up while also making as little noise as possible. The two Slytherins walked very fast.

Albus expected them to go back to the Shrieking Shack, or perhaps the Hog’s Head, but they did neither. They also walked past every shop usually frequented by Hogwarts students during Hogsmeade visits. They walked quickly up High Street until the businesses gave way to little houses, which then gave way to empty fields and clumps of trees. When they were across from the Shrieking Shack, they turned off High Street and set off down the winding path that led up the mountain.

Confused, but also excited, Albus clutched the cloak closer to himself and let them fall further ahead. Without the crowds of students in between them, he could follow less closely now and still not risk losing them.

Neither Willinson said a word as they climbed higher. They were definitely up to something, Albus thought. Rose was wrong; he was not obsessing. Well, perhaps he was, but he had a good reason. There was no innocent reason for climbing the mountain behind Hogsmeade.

“I still don’t understand why we have to do this here,” Felix muttered. “Like I told you last time, it makes more sense to stay in the castle when the whole school is here. Do you want Potter to overhear us again?”

“Do you see Potter anywhere?” Elsie snapped.

“No-“

“Exactly. And you’ll understand once we’re there. It’s only a little further.”

Heart beating fast, Albus quickened his pace. They walked for a few more minutes and then arrived at a cave. Elsie and Felix paused at its mouth, and then Elsie gestured for Felix to follow her inside. Albus stayed at the mouth, crouched down behind a bush, and took out his Extendable Ear.

“It’s a cave,” Felix said flatly. “So what?”

“It’s a cave!” Elsie said excitedly. “It’s a place to hide.”

“Why do we need a place to hide?”

“Not us. Him. I got another letter last week. He wants to come back.”

“Why?” Felix asked. “Elsie, that’s stupid! Did you tell him that’s stupid?”

“But what if it isn’t stupid, Felix? What if it’s safe now? You saw the paper. Boone’s in Azkaban for life. They aren’t looking anymore.”

Albus let out an involuntary gasp. Was it possible Elsie and Felix were in contact with the real murderer?

“Did you hear that?” Felix asked.

“It’s just the wind. Stop worrying.”

“Look, Elsie,” Felix said. “I get why you want to help him. But you’re just a kid. This is out of your league. It’s out of my league. Do…do Mum and Dad know?”

Elsie sighed. “They know he’s abroad. They want him to stay there.”

“Because that’s smart, Elsie,” Felix pleaded. “He’s safer abroad.”

“No, they want him to stay abroad because they’re ashamed of him! They drove him to do this! The whole thing is their fault!”

“No, Elsie,” Felix said quietly. “It’s his fault. It was his choice. And I’m not going to help him. He’s safe abroad, and I’m glad for that, but coming back would be stupid. I won’t be a part of that.”

“Fine!” Elsie shouted. “I’ll do it myself! But you have to swear not to tell Mum and Dad.”

“Elsie-“

“Swear it!” Elsie exclaimed. “Or I’ll tell them you were the one who broke that bronze statue of Salazar Slytherin at that party at the Malfoys’ last year.”

“Elsie, you wouldn’t!”

“I swear to God, Felix, I would. Swear to me!”

Felix groaned. “Fine. I promise I won’t tell Mum and Dad you’re doing an incredibly stupid thing.”

“It’s not stupid, Felix,” Elsie said. “Helping family is never stupid.”

“I know that,” Felix snapped. “But the best thing we can do to help is convince him to stay abroad.”

“You’re wrong, Felix,” Elsie said. “I have to go send an owl. Don’t follow me.”

Albus stayed completely still in the bushes while Elsie left and then waited another twenty minutes for Felix to leave. When he finally stood up and put away his Extendable Ear, his hands were shaking. He was onto something. Elsie was somehow wrapped up in the Hogsmeade murder and Albus had to find out how. And if his instincts were correct, Elsie would be bringing the actual murderer back to Hogsmeade.

Part of Albus wanted to do nothing more than interrupt Rose’s date and tell her exactly what he’d just overheard, but he couldn’t. As much as it would make things easier, he could not tell his friends about what Dawlish and Balladanis were up to, even Rose. They trusted him to keep quiet, and he needed to get used to keeping things secret if he was ever going to work in the Department of Mysteries. He certainly wouldn’t be able to tell Rose everything about work once he started working there.

There was also the question of when Albus should go to Dawlish with the new information. He couldn’t do it during his internship if Johnson was lurking about because as far as Johnson was concerned, Albus and Dawlish hadn’t ever met. Ever since the trial, Johnson had been consistently there whenever Albus had his internship hours, almost as if he’d gotten in trouble for not accompanying Albus to the trial. Perhaps he had. Perhaps Aunt Hermione had spoken with him. He supposed it didn’t matter because internship hours had been canceled for the upcoming week. They only had class Monday and Tuesday before the holiday began Wednesday.

At the same time, he didn’t want to put it in a letter. Growing up, his parents had always talked about how you should never put anything sensitive in a letter. Owls could be intercepted. It was a leftover worry from the war, but it still rang true. Albus was sure Aurors never put anything sensitive in a letter and he needed to think like an Auror.

His final thought was to just find a quiet moment to tell his father during the holiday. The thought made him laugh as he walked past Madam Puddifoot’s. With Teddy and Victoire’s wedding Christmas evening, chances of a quiet moment over the holiday were less than the Chudley Cannons winning the League Cup. Christmas at the Burrow was crazy enough; Albus could only imagine what it’d be like with a wedding thrown in. And now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure how Christmas was going to work. Teddy and Victoire were getting married at Shell Cottage. Would they still have Christmas at the Burrow and then all Apparate to Shell Cottage?

Chances were, he’d have to wait until the new year to reveal his information about Elsie to Dawlish or his father. Or at least until after the wedding. But until Elsie actually brought whoever this bloke was back to Hogsmeade, all the Aurors would have was Albus’s word. Unfortunately, Albus’s word, without the actual murderer, wouldn’t get Boone out of Azkaban.

28. Stag Party

The last few days of classes went by without much learning. Even the professors had given up by Tuesday and allowed students to have a study hall. Albus was very grateful, since his mind was half on what he’d overheard on Saturday and half on Teddy and Victoire’s wedding. It hadn’t really hit him before that Teddy was getting married. Teddy, the boy who’d spent his childhood using his metamorphmagus skills to pull pranks on his grandmother and Albus’s own parents was now old enough to get married. And Victoire, she’d be the first of the cousins to get married. They were growing up, and they were doing it faster than Albus would’ve liked.

The train ride back to London on Wednesday was cheery. Moods were high throughout the whole train, and Albus didn’t have to break up a single fight amongst the younger students during his patrol. When he returned, he found John and Kaden tossing Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans into each other’s mouths while Rose and Amanda kept score. Matt was asleep, slumped up against the window. Sunday’s full moon had been a bad one, most likely an effect of his breakdown at the trial.

“What’s the score?” John asked.

“You’ve got 15 and Kaden’s got 26,” Amanda said.

“Ha!” Kaden exclaimed.

“How many beans left?” Rose asked.

“About half a box,” John said.

“How many have you gone through?” Albus asked as he sat down next to Matt.

“This is only the second,” Kaden said.

“Only,” Albus said as he looked at all the beans scattered on the floor. “And you two suck at this.”

“As if you could do better,” John said as he chucked a bean at Albus.

The bean hit Albus in the forehead. “I wasn’t ready!”

“Fine. Ready now?”

Albus nodded. He opened his mouth and caught the bean John threw. Unfortunately it was charcoal flavored. “Told you.”

The compartment door opened and James, Cedric, and Ben walked in. James laughed as he took in the scene. “Make sure you clean those up. Last time we did this the conductor made us stay behind to pick up every bean. No magic.”

“Right,” John said. He dug his wand out of his robes and waved it. A few beans disappeared.

Rose smirked, drew her own wand, and vanished the rest of the beans.

“What’s up, James?” Albus asked. “Are you trying to organize a Quidditch practice on the train?”

The tip of James’s nose reddened slightly. “Very funny. No, this is about Teddy’s stag night.”

Stag night. Albus had forgotten about that. “Er, what did you have in mind?”

“It’s all planned,” James said. “I’ve been planning it with Landon, Teddy’s friend from Hogwarts, for the past few weeks. All you’ve got to do is be dressed in Muggle clothes by six at night tomorrow. We can’t do it the night before since that’s Christmas Eve.”

“Muggle clothes?”

James nodded. “And make yourself look a little older. You’re the only one underage and we’d rather not have to confund anyone.”

“You realize Muggles aren’t of age until they’re 18, right?” Amanda asked.

“Damn. I knew I was forgetting something,” James muttered. He looked at Cedric. “Make sure you look a little older, too. Don’t shave between now and then. Maybe add a mustache if you’re handy with appearance charms. Maybe I can have Teddy give Al a beard before we head out.”

Rose and John burst out laughing. “Make sure you get pictures of that, James,” Rose said.

Albus’s cheeks grew warm. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted in on this stag night.

“Who’s going?” Albus asked.

“Us,” James said, gesturing to himself, Cedric, and Ben. “Plus Bradley, Fred, Mark, and Landon.”

“No Stanley?”

“He’s working. Well, he will be off by then, but he has to work all day and isn’t planning on getting back to the country until the next day,” Cedric said.

“Right,” James said. “Anyway, Al. Muggle clothes. Look 18. By six tomorrow evening.”

James, Cedric, and Ben left, shutting the door behind them.

Rose laughed. “I almost wish I could go. I wonder how much of this your mum knows about.”

“Probably none of it,” Albus muttered. He supposed he ought to get used to this. With so many cousins, this would surely only be the first of many stag nights.

***

At six o’clock sharp the following evening, Albus was dressed in skinny, dark wash jeans and a a dark grey button-up shirt Rose told him wasn’t dark grey, but ‘charcoal.’ She also told him it looked better untucked. He’d left his hair mussed, but had no facial hair to speak of. If James wanted him to sport any, he’d have to charm it there. Albus had no idea if he could pass for 18, but Rose told him he looked nice and then Flooed to Shell Cottage for Victoire’s hen night.

James emerged from his bedroom wearing a full suit, complete with a skinny purple tie. Albus wasn’t sure whether he intended to dress up that much or if he just didn’t have a handle on Muggle fashions. As far as he knew, Muggles only wore suits for special occasions.

“Looking good, Al,” James said with a grin. “Ready?”

“You still haven’t told me what we’re doing,” Albus said flatly.

“Patience, Albus. Patience.”

After telling their parents they were simply taking Teddy out for a steak dinner and a couple pints, James and Albus Flooed to Teddy’s flat in Diagon Alley. Albus hoped all they were doing was steak and a few pints, but he suspected it was a lot more involved.

The rest of the group was already there, dressed in a variety of Muggle clothing ranging from jeans and a t-shirt (Fred) to another full suit (Teddy).

“Do you swear it’s going to be classy?” Teddy asked Landon as they got ready to leave. “Victoire and I promised we’d keep it classy.”

“Don’t worry,” Landon said. “It’s not going to be that kind of party.”

“Yeah, can you imagine Mum’s reaction if she found out we took Al to that kind of party?” James asked.

Albus suddenly felt very young. James wasn’t that much older than him. How was it all right for him to go to an inappropriate party but not Albus?

Teddy snorted. “And she’d be perfectly okay with you going to one?”

James blushed. “Shut it, Teddy.”

“I can say what I want,” Teddy said. “I’m the groom. Now let’s get going.”

“Hold on,” James said. “Ted, you’ve got to give Al a beard.”

Teddy burst out laughing. “What did you just say?”

“Give Al a beard. He’s got to look 18.”

Albus groaned. “James, I don’t-“

“Hold still, Al,” Teddy interrupted.

He pointed his wand at Albus’s face and Albus soon felt hair prickling out of his face. He rubbed it. It felt scratchy and weird. Over the past year Albus had grown a very small mustache, one so small that Rose claimed it wasn’t even there. He’d shaved it once, just to see what it was like. John on the other hand, had grown enough facial hair to shave it once a week. Kaden had about as much as Albus. Matt didn’t have any.

“Here,” Teddy said as he conjured a mirror and handed it to Albus.

Albus stared at himself. He did look significantly older. He also looked even more like his father. All he needed was a pair of glasses and a scar and he could be his father’s clone.

“Weird,” James said, shaking his head. “All right. Let’s go.”

As it turned out, the first part of the evening really was steak and pints. They went to a restaurant where you paid one price and then got to eat as much meat as you wanted (steak, pork, and a whole host of other meats Albus didn’t even know one could eat). When you wanted more, you put this little sign up next to your plate and the wait staff came by and gave you more. To Teddy’s delight, they even had steak that was so rare it looked like it was still bleeding.

“That’s disgusting, mate,” Landon said before taking another large swig of beer.

“That is why he and Victoire are perfect for each other,” Ben said. “She likes steak just as rare as he does.”

“You must’ve missed that gene,” Landon commented, gesturing to Ben’s own well-done steak.

“Gabriella and I both did,” Ben said. “She’s turned vegetarian.”

“Really?” James asked.

“Really,” Ben said. “She’s gone Bohemian in France.”

“Is she staying there?” Fred asked.

Ben nodded. “She really likes it. Says it’s good for her muse. Whatever that means. All I know is that Mum and Dad are always discussing how much longer it’s going to go on. Her paintings are really good. I mean, I think they are. I don’t think my opinion counts for much in the art world.”

Albus smirked. He’d always sort of admired Gabriella for going out on her own. There was so much expectation in their family to enter a mainstream job right out of Hogwarts and it took a lot of courage to go against that and follow your dreams. They were all Gryffindors, but that took a different kind of courage. Georgia had done it, too. Quite a few of his cousins had taken a year to figure things out by working at Weasleys’, but that was still family sanctioned.

After they’d had their fill of steak, they headed out onto the street. Albus still had no idea what awaited them next.

“What now?” Mark asked. Apparently Al wasn’t the only clueless one.

“We hit the clubs, Muggle style,” Landon announced.

“We’re going to Muggle clubs?” Albus asked.

“Yeah,” James said. “That way no one will know us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy winding up on the front page of a sleazy tabloid under a headline that says ‘Potter Gone Crazy.’”

“Er, how crazy do you think things are going to get?” Albus asked tentatively.

“Just follow my lead, Al,” James said with a grin. “Come on.”

Albus fell to the back of the group with Mark, who was the quietest of them. Albus had a feeling Mark wasn’t too keen on the evening, either.

They wound up at a club a few streets away from the restaurant. It was the type of place with a queue to get in and a bouncer guarding the door. It was not the type of place Albus ever imagined he’d frequent. They joined the queue behind a group of girls who were not dressed for December weather. Two of them turned around and giggled when they saw Teddy.

The queue moved slowly and Albus questioned the appeal of a place where you had to wait in a queue just to get in, where you would stand, listen to loud music, and quite possibly queue to buy an overpriced drink. He imagined John, and perhaps Kaden, would enjoy themselves far more at a place like this. Matt, on the other hand, wouldn’t even consider going.

When they reached the front, after the giggling girls had been allowed in, the bouncer stopped them and asked for ID.

Albus’s heart pounded. He didn’t have any ID. Wizards didn’t get ID until they turned seventeen. What would he do when the rest of the group was allowed in and he wasn’t? Wait, what was he thinking? None of them would be allowed in. Their wizard IDs would look fake to the bouncer.

Albus squeezed his way to the front, until he reached James and Teddy. “James-“

“Al,” James said, then laughed. “Al, my silly brother. You left your ID on the counter in the flat. Luckily I brought it for you.” With a flourish, James pulled a small card out of his pocket and handed it to Albus.

It looked just like a Muggle ID, but it had his name and picture on it. The birthday said he was two years older than he really was.

The rest of the group pulled out their fake Muggle IDs and handed them to the bouncer, who glanced at them quickly before handing them back and opening the rope to allow them inside. The whole process seemed very odd.

The club itself was dark, with no windows. The only light stemmed from a disco ball on the ceiling and a few strobe lights from the walls. On the opposite wall from the door there was a bar, which had real lights above it. Music pounded so loudly Albus felt his every cell vibrating. People congregated on the outer edges of the dance floor and by the bar. On the dance floor, people danced so closely together it made Albus feel uncomfortable. This was James’s grand idea of a stag night?

“I’ll buy the first round,” Landon announced and he headed to the bar.

“We’ll help carry,” Fred said, gesturing to himself and Bradley.

“Is this what Muggles do with their spare time?” Albus asked.

Teddy laughed. “Some of them. Wizards, too. There’s one magical club in London, but it’s always the same crowd. They’re always in trouble with the Ministry for allowing Muggles in, but they claim they don’t have to follow the Statute of Secrecy because the Muggles who wander in are so drunk they wouldn’t believe anything they saw. Still, I imagine they’ll be shut down in a year or two.”

“It’s really…different,” Albus said. Someone bumped into him and he stumbled and nearly fell on Mark. “Sorry,” he muttered to Mark.

Landon, Fred, and Bradley returned with pints and Albus took one just because it was easier than saying he’d had enough after the restaurant.

Teddy, James, Landon, Fred, Cedric, Bradley, and Ben downed their beers and then hurried to the dance floor. Within seconds, a group of girls surrounded them and they were soon dancing in one large group. Mark had retreated to the wall, which he leaned against while sipping his beer. Albus joined him.

“When I get married, swear to me you won’t drag me to a club,” Mark said.

“Only if you promise me the same thing,” Albus said.

Albus did not understand how anyone could enjoy this. The music was so loud it was giving him a headache and he’d now been bumped into by so many people he was pressing himself into the wall every time anyone came near. His heart was pounding hard, or at least he thought it was. It could’ve been the music. Or the pints he’d had with dinner. He felt very warm and suddenly understood why those girls seemed so underdressed. He wondered if this was how Matt felt while walking through the crowd at the trial.

Mark seemed content to just stand there and drink and Albus was perfectly fine with that. Not talking allowed him to concentrate on breathing, which didn’t feel so involuntary in the club. It felt like something Albus needed to concentrate very hard on.

“I’m going to get another one,” Mark said, raising his now empty glass. “Want another?”

“No,” Albus said, wondering if he should go with Mark anyway. The rest of their group was nowhere in sight.

“Hi!”

Albus startled, sloshing beer all over his hand. He turned and saw one of the girls who’d been in front of them in the queue. She was very pretty, with long, brown hair that spilled all over her bare shoulders. Her eyes were bright blue and they sparkled in the light of the disco ball.

“Er, hi,” Albus muttered.

“You were behind me in the queue,” she said, giggling. “I’m Brynn.”

“Albus,” Albus said.

“What?” she shouted. “Albert?”

“Al,” Albus said a little louder. “You can just call me Al.”

“Well, Al, nice to meet you. Are you at university?”

“Er, yeah,” Albus said.

“Which one?”

“Um, Oxford,” Albus said, spewing out the first university that came to mind.

Brynn’s eyes lit up. “Oo! You must be smart. I go to University of East London. Just finished my first term.”

“Me, too,” Albus said.

“So, do you want to dance?” Brynn asked.

“Not-“ Albus began.

“Sure you do!” Brynn shouted. She took the beer out of Albus’s hand, set it on a nearby table, and dragged him to the dance floor.

Albus did not know how to dance. His dancing experience was limited to the dancing he’d done at the few weddings he’d been to and that was not the same dancing as what was happening now. Brynn held his hands and moved around him, seemingly to the music, but Albus couldn’t really tell. He shuffled his feet, but she didn’t seem to be paying much attention.

“You’re cute, Al,” Brynn said. “That tall boy you’re with, the one with the blue hair, he’s hot. But you, you’re cute. Why is his hair blue? I mean, it’s really blue.”

“It’s natural,” Albus said flatly.

Brynn laughed. “You’re funny, too.”

She pulled Albus close to her and kissed him quickly on the lips. Then she kissed him again, longer this time. Albus kissed back, unsure of what to do with his tongue. Was he supposed to kiss with his tongue?

“Brynn!”

Brynn broke away and Albus saw the rest of the girls she’d been with earlier. She waved at them.

“Brynn!” the tallest one shouted. “You have a boyfriend!”

“Oops,” Brynn said, shrugging. “I’ve got to go. It was nice to meet you, Al.”

Brynn disappeared into the crowd with her friends before Albus had a chance to say anything. Her vacated spot on the dance floor filled immediately and Albus was surrounded, with no visible way to get back to the edge. How had he and Brynn wound up in the middle?

Breathe, Albus told himself. Breathe. But he couldn’t breathe. Teddy, James, and his cousins were nowhere in sight. The music pounded, joining with his pounding heart, making his head hurt. There was a rushing sound in his ears he couldn’t even place. It suddenly felt ten degrees warmer than it had five minutes ago. A tall, burly guy bumped into him, muttering an apology as he left the dance floor. Albus’s hands began shaking and he felt like he was going to be sick.

Quickly, before the path the burly bloke had created disappeared, Albus ran off the dance floor. But it was just as loud and crowded by the wall where he and Mark had stood before. Mark wasn’t there, either. He scanned the edge for a sign for the loo, but couldn’t see one. His stomach churned and his vision blurred. He had to get out.

Without bothering to find any of his cousins, Albus ran out the door, the December air hitting him like a cool breeze in the middle of July. The queue was even longer now and the bouncer had been replaced by a different bouncer. Albus turned to the alley and sat down on the ground, putting his head between his knees.

He now recognized what had gone on in the club and that just made the situation worse. He’d spent enough time with Matt over the years to know he’d just had a panic attack of his own. What he didn’t understand was why. He’d never felt like that before and he hadn’t had any trauma in his life.

After ten minutes, Albus picked his head up. He felt significantly better. He was still dizzy, but no longer felt the need to empty the contents of his stomach all over the ground of the alley. The problem now was that his cousins were now inside and he was outside.

Tentatively, he walked up to the new bouncer. “Er, excuse me,” he said. “I was in there earlier and my cousins are still there. Can I just go in?”

The bouncer laughed. “Yeah, you and everyone else. Nice try, buddy. Back of the line.”

“I’m not kidding,” Albus said. “I swear if you let me in I’ll bring one of them out here and prove it.”

“What, you think it’s my first day on the job, kid?”

Albus groaned and walked back to the alley. He might as well just wait for them. Surely they’d eventually realize he was gone? It wasn’t as if he had any desire to go back into the club.

Sure enough, two minutes later, the rest of the group came running out of the club. All of them looked frantic, and Teddy was shouting at James.

“Aunt Ginny is going to murder me!”

“You? She’s going to murder me!” James said.

“Rightly so! You were supposed to be watching him!”

“I was?! Who decided that?”

“I did!” Teddy said. “I told you when I agreed to the club idea.”

“I’m right here,” Albus said, stepping out of the shadow of the building.

“Oh thank God,” Teddy said.

“Are you all right?” Mark asked. “You don’t look so good. What even happened? Last I saw you you were by the door and then you were gone.”

“Nothing,” Albus said quickly, averting his gaze. “I just don’t like clubs.”

“Let’s just go home,” Teddy said.

“But I’ve got another one we can-“ James began.

“Let’s go home,” Teddy interrupted. He was staring at Albus with a concerned look on his face, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“Er, Teddy,” Albus began as they walked home, eager to change the topic, “why is your hair black now? And you’ve changed your nose. And your eyes..and…everything.”

Teddy grinned. “Just a little game were were playing.”

“There was a hen party there,” James explained. “And they were all really drunk, so Teddy decided to hit on each of them, but as a different person each time. He’d talk to one of them, buy them a drink, then excuse himself to the loo. Then he’d come back looking different and hit on the next one.”

Albus groaned. “Victoire would kill you if she knew you did that. So would Rose. Actually, all of woman kind would probably want to kill you for that.”

Teddy shrugged. “They all seemed to think it was funny. Anyway, that was the last time I’ll ever hit on another woman.”

“True,” James said. “Weird, isn’t it?”

Teddy smiled. “Not in the slightest, James. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

29. The Wedding

Albus decided not to tell his parents about what happened at the club, mostly because they didn’t know he even went to a club. Teddy, James, and his cousins had had so much fun and Albus didn’t want to get them in trouble. Plus, the entire family was now in full wedding mode and there wasn’t a free moment to spare. Albus would talk to Matt and Rose about it; between the three of them, they’d figure out what the whole episode meant.

Christmas Eve still took place at the Burrow, but in addition to the usual feast, drinking, listening to Celestina Warbeck, and reminiscing about old times that always took place, there was also wedding preparation. The aunts spent hours baking and preparing food for the reception while the uncles discussed set-up and argued over how many heating charms would be necessary. The younger cousins had been set the task of assembling wedding favors (wolf-shaped chocolates wrapped in little boxes with ‘Mr. & Mrs. Lupin’ and the date on top) under Lily’s direction. The cousins who were of age were assembling the centerpieces by magic (blue glass jars with seashells inside with a candle on top, the seashells charmed to glow). Fred had been kicked out of this task after Aunt Alicia called his centerpieces hideous. He seemed all too happy to join the uncles for set-up preparation and eggnog drinking.

Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Victoire, Gabriella, and Ben only spent an hour or two at the Burrow, leaving in the early evening. Aunt Fleur’s parents, sister, brother-in-law, and the French cousins were due to arrive that night and they’d spend Christmas together at Shell Cottage before the wedding.

“This is so much fun,” Lily said as they stuffed chocolates into boxes. “And think, it’s only the first of so many weddings.”

“Who do you think will be next?” Hugo asked.

“Heather,” Lily said immediately. “She’s been going out with the same bloke since last year. I kind of doubt Stanley will ever get married and Gabriella is still doing her starving artistry thing.”

Rose laughed. “She could meet a nice bloke doing that, you know.”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get married, considering the blokes I’ve seen lately. They’re all such idiots.”

Albus snorted. “I bet Dad will be happy to hear that.”

“Who’d you go to Hogsmeade with last weekend?” Rose asked.

Lily sighed. “I went with Pat, but he’s been getting on my nerves. I think I’ll have to break up with him soon.”

“There are plenty more blokes out there,” Rose assured her.

“Speaking of blokes, did I see you with Benji and Wyatt Fenwick in Hogsmeade?” Lily asked.

“I was with Benji and Amanda was with Wyatt,” Rose said. “It went okay, but I don’t think I’ll see Benji again. All he did was talk about Quidditch.”

“How many more of these do we have to do?” Albus asked. His fingers were starting to ache from tying the little tulle bows around the boxes. “It would’ve gone so much faster if someone did these with magic.”

“They’re all busy with the centerpieces,” Lily said. “And I think we’re almost done. There’s only one more box of chocolates.”

“The good news is that by the next wedding you and I will be of age,” Rose said to Albus. “So, did you have fun at the stag night?”

Albus shrugged. “It was okay. How was the hen party?”

“Good,” Rose said. “Gabriella got really drunk and sang a really awful rendition of ‘A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love.’”

“I wish Mum would’ve let me go,” Lily muttered.

Albus laughed. “Maybe she’ll do it again tomorrow.”

“Well, she woke up this morning swearing she’d sworn off alcohol,” Rose said. “I doubt it, though.”

“No one ever means that,” Albus said.

An hour later the wedding favors and centerpieces were done. The aunts and Nana Molly emerged from the kitchen and Nana Molly announced it was time for bed. It was an hour earlier than she usually shuttled everyone off to bed, but no one questioned her. They had to get up early and have Christmas done with by noon so they could get to Shell Cottage in time to set up for the four o’clock wedding.

***

Never before had Albus experienced such a hectic Christmas morning. He awoke at seven to a large pile of presents by the foot of his bed and spent a good fifteen minutes opening and admiring them while James, Cedric, and Ben did the same with theirs. Then Lily arrived, sent by Nana Molly, to hurry them along for breakfast.

The entire family was downstairs by the time the boys arrived. Usually Christmas breakfast was a leisurely event, with everyone wandering into the kitchen and getting food as they awoke. The whole affair lasted two or three hours, with the little cousins eating first and the older cousins who’d had too much eggnog wandering in around eleven. Today, everyone was up and dressed, some of them looking a little worse for wear.

“Remind me not to get married on Christmas,” James said. “This is too bloody early.”

“Wedding party!” Nana Molly shouted over the din. “Where are Teddy, James, Al, and Rose?”

“Right here, Nana!” James shouted.

“You lot are to go to Shell Cottage first,” Nana Molly announced. “Rose, you need to get there by nine to get your hair done and boys, you ought to be there by eleven.”

“Excellent!” Teddy said. “Enough time for Quidditch. Anyone who wants to play Quidditch, be outside in ten!”

“Edward Remus Lupin!” Nana Molly shouted. “You are forbidden to play Quidditch on your wedding day! What if you’re injured? I told your grandmother I’d have you to Shell Cottage by eleven and in one piece!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Teddy said. “Quidditch is canceled.”

“No Christmas Quidditch,” James said, shaking his head. “Times are changing.”

“Next year, mate,” Teddy said. “And by then you’ll be on a professional team.”

“Maybe,” James muttered.

At five to eleven, Albus stood with Teddy and James in front of the Floo at the Burrow. The rest of the family was rushing around getting everything ready to take to Shell Cottage, where the Delacour side of the family, as well as the girls, already waited.

Teddy went first, followed by James. Then it was Albus’s turn. He spun through the Floo and came out at Shell Cottage, whose atmosphere was vastly different from the Burrow’s. It was so quiet Albus could practically hear his own heartbeat.

“Hello?” Teddy shouted.

Granny Tonks came bustling into the room from the kitchen, an apron across her front and a wooden spoon in each hand. Her face had a thin layer of flour on it.

“Teddy!” she exclaimed. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Gran,” Teddy said. “Where is everyone?”

“The girls are all upstairs. You boys aren’t allowed in the master bedroom. Ben’s room has been set up as your headquarters. I believe Bill and Monsieur Delacour are outside having a cigar. I always forget his name….”

“Jean-Claude,” Teddy supplied.

“Ah, right. Ben and Jean, younger Jean, are outside marking where the marquee will go. And I…I am baking.” She thrust the spoons into James’s hands and rushed forward to Teddy. She put her flour covered hands on his face and smiled. “Oh, Ted. I am so proud. Your parents…they would’ve been proud, too. And so very, very happy.”

Teddy nodded. “Thanks, Gran. Er, what do we do now?”

Granny Tonks laughed. “I suppose you won’t take as long as the girls to get ready, will you?”

“No,” Teddy said, grinning sheepishly.

“What time is Landon arriving?”

“Around one,” Teddy said.

“Well, I’m sure Ben and Jean could use help outside.”

“Excellent,” Teddy said, clapping his hands together.

By the time the rest of the family arrived at noon, Albus, James, Teddy, Uncle Bill, Ben, and Jean had the marquee up and were setting to work on the gold chairs. For a small ceremony, there certainly were a lot of chairs.

It had begun to snow. Not a hard snow, but a light, fluffy snow, the kind that muffled everything around. The sound of the ocean lapping against the shore was all that Albus could hear from the marquee and it was nice. As he and his cousins set up chairs, the uncles set to work on heating charms. By the time they finished, it was warm and toasty inside the marquee, despite the snow outside.

When Landon arrived shortly after one, Nana Molly hurried the boys upstairs to get ready. The aunts set to work decorating the marquee and insisted Teddy, James, Al, and Landon would only be in the way. Albus suspected Teddy would rather be busy, but no one ever argued with Nana Molly.

The boys changed into their dress robes in silence, a stark contrast to the chatter Albus could hear coming from the other side of the wall, where Victoire got ready with her bridesmaids, mother, and grandmother.

“You okay, mate?” James asked as Teddy straightened his robes.

Teddy smiled. “I’ve never been more okay in my life. But I’m bloody nervous. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with Victoire, but is it bad I want to skip the wedding part?”

James laughed. “Don’t tell Victoire that.”

“Do you remember what you said when you introduced me to Victoire?” Landon asked.

“Haven’t a clue,” Teddy said as he flattened his hair with his wand.

“You said, and I quote, ‘This is Victoire. I’m going to marry her one day.’”

“I did not,” Teddy said.

“I swear you did. And I’m sure Victoire would confirm it. She turned bright red and didn’t say a word until dessert. Of course, this was after you’d spent our entire first year telling me about her.”

“And I wasn’t lying,” Teddy said.

“But it took until sixth year for her to finally go on an actual date with you,” Landon reminded him.

“It was complicated. We grew up together. Both of us knew the stakes were high. If we’d broken up the whole family would’ve been devastated.”

“Good thing the two of you were made for each other,” James said.

Teddy nodded. “If I can just make it through the wedding.” He screwed up his face and turned his hair turquoise.

“You’re going with the blue hair?” James asked.

“It’s Victoire’s favorite,” Teddy explained.

“You know, I told a girl at the club your blue hair was natural,” Albus said. He’d forgotten about that until now.

Teddy laughed. “Technically you weren’t lying.”

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Teddy said.

Dad walked in, dressed in his finest dress robes. He’d tamed his hair down, but it was threatening to break through whatever charm he’d used.

“Hey, Harry,” Teddy said, smiling. “Nice robes.”

“You, too,” Dad said. “Very classy. Boys, could I have a moment with Teddy alone?”

Albus, James, and Landon left, shutting the door behind them. They went downstairs, which was crowded with dozens of family members. Albus soon lost track of James and Landon and decided to wander outside to the marquee.

The aunts had finished the decorating and the marquee looked like the inside of some fancy restaurant. Floating balls of light shimmered up near the ceiling. Swaths of blue tulle ran along the edges of the chairs, and a blue runner had been placed in the aisle. A small table of candles sat in front of the podium.

Ben and Jean stood at the entrance in dress robes. They’d been recruited as ushers and each held a stack of programs. Albus glanced at his watch. It was just past three.

“Has anyone arrived yet?” Albus asked.

“Just Weasleys,” Ben said. “Nana Molly insisted we get out here early in case anyone shows up early. Do you know if Auntie Muriel is coming?”

“No idea,” Albus said. “But probably. She doesn’t usually miss this type of thing.”

Ben groaned. “I’ll save her a seat up front.”

“Who is Auntie Muriel?” Jean asked. His French accent wasn’t as pronounced as Albus would’ve expected.

“Our great-great aunt,” Ben explained. “She’s really old and she never lets anyone forget that. And she finds something wrong with everyone.”

“Sounds like a lovely woman,” Jean said. “You can seat her, since she’s your aunt.”

“Thanks,” Ben muttered. “Have you got any mad relatives I should know about?”

“None that are coming,” Jean said.

“Speaking of,” Albus said, having just noticed Auntie Muriel being escorted across the yard by Uncle Bill. “I should-“

“Don’t you dare,” Ben said, grabbing hold of Albus’s arm. “You can stay right here.”

Jean snorted.

“I’m 132!” Muriel exclaimed. “Can’t you have had this wedding inside somewhere? It’s bloody December! And look, I’m the first one out here. Are you going to make an old woman sit here all by herself in the cold until this thing starts?”

“Don’t worry, Aunt Muriel,” Uncle Bill said. “There are plenty of heating charms. And you won’t be alone-“

“Damn right I won’t,” she said. “You’ll stay out here with me.”

They reached Albus, Ben, and Jean. Auntie Muriel looked smaller than she had the last time Albus saw her. She clung to Uncle Bill with one hand and brandished a cane in the other.

“Albus Severus,” she said. Albus hated that she always called him Albus Severus. “Bloody awful name. But I suppose when you’re Harry Potter you can get away with anything, even choosing stupid names for your kids. You’re too skinny, Albus Severus. I’ll speak with your mother about feeding your properly. Ginny never did have the cooking skills Molly has.

“And Ben. Aren’t you going to do something about that hair? Your sister is getting married, for God’s sake. I’m surprised your mother let you out of the house like that. Not that your father is setting that great of an example. I’d offer to give you a haircut myself, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

“Good to see you, Auntie Muriel,” Albus said loudly.

“No reason to shout. I said my eyes are bad, not my ears,” Muriel said.

“Yeah, great to see you,” Ben added.

“And who are you?” Muriel asked Jean.

“Jean-Claude Bisset,” Jean said.

Auntie Muriel sniffed. “You’re French.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jean said.

“Never liked the French.” Auntie Muriel turned back to Ben. “Well, aren’t you going to show me to my seat?”

“Er, yes, right away,” Ben said. He offered Muriel his arm. Muriel let go of Uncle Bill and took hold of Ben, allowing him to show her to her front row seat.

“Well,” Albus said to Jean, “now you’ve met Muriel.”

“I have a strong desire to introduce her to my great-grandmother,” Jean said. “She hates the English. I think it’d be fun.”

Albus laughed. As much as Auntie Muriel drove Albus insane, it wouldn’t be a Weasley gathering without her.

By three-thirty, Albus’s family started trickling out of the house and into the marquee in twos and threes. The seats began to fill and Albus realized Teddy and Victoire really had planned a small wedding. Their family was just so large it seemed like a big wedding. But most of the guests were Weasleys or Delacours. Minerva McGonagall and Hagrid were two of the exceptions.

Matt arrived with his parents shortly before four and Albus was happy to see he looked much better than he had a few days ago.

“So,” Matt said as he met Albus at the entrance of the marquee, “this is a small wedding?”

“For Weasleys, yes,” Albus said. “I think there are only about ten people who aren’t related to either Victoire or Teddy.”

“We’ll go get seats, Matt,” Mrs. Eckerton said.

“Albus!” James shouted across the yard.

“I’ve got to go,” Albus said. “I’ll see you after.”

Matt hurried after his parents and Albus set off to meet James, Landon, and Teddy.

At exactly four o’clock Albus followed Teddy, James, and Landon into the back entrance of the marquee, which deposited them at the front, where the podium stood. The classical music that had been playing switched to something faster and the crowd quieted down. The minister stood behind the podium and nodded to Teddy.

Granddad and Nana Molly were the first to walk down the aisle and they sat next to Auntie Muriel. Then came Monsieur and Mademoiselle Delacour, who sat in the opposite front row. Next was Granny Tonks, escorted by Dad. Granny Tonks sat next to Granddad and Nana Molly, while Dad sat in the second row with Mum and Lily. Next came Aunt Fleur, escorted by Ben, who sat next to the Delacours. Given Teddy and Victoire’s history of having grown up together, they’d done away with the traditional bride side and groom side.

The music changed once again and Gabriella walked down the aisle, dressed in a Ravenclaw blue dress and carrying a gold and white bouquet. Rose followed her, and then Amy. The three girls stood on the opposite side of Albus, James, and Landon.

Victoire, escorted by Uncle Bill, appeared in the entrance. The crowd stood up and the two walked down the aisle. Victoire looked beautiful, and very grown-up. Her dress was white, with gold accents. When they reached the front, Uncle Bill lifted Victoire’s hand and placed it in Teddy’s, before sitting down next to Aunt Fleur. Albus noticed his eyes were wet with tears.

“Dearly beloved,” the minister began, “we are gathered here today to join Edward Remus Lupin and Victoire Fleur Weasley in matrimony….”

***

Albus didn’t think he’d ever seen Victoire happier in his life. As he stood in line at the buffet, he watched Teddy feeding her mini quiches while whispering something to her. She laughed and then ate the quiche, the smile on her face obvious even as she chewed. The newlyweds had a small table of their own, while the wedding party was to sit at the round table closest to them.

The chairs had been cleared away immediately after the ceremony, replaced by dozens of round tables. The chairs were then put back, surrounding the tables. Two long buffet tables sandwiched them, and a third rectangular table held the cake and other desserts. Buffet style was always the best choice with Weasleys, who usually ate far more than an average serving.

Being in the wedding party, Albus was right at the front of the buffet line. Uncle Bill had instructed everyone else to wait until after Teddy, Victoire, and the wedding party had gotten their food before swarming the tables. Amy had dragged Matt up with them so that he could avoid the crowd.

“Did your grandmother make all of this?” Matt asked as they sat down. Amy took a chair away from the nearest table and stuck it next to Albus’s so Matt would have somewhere to sit.

“Most of it,” Albus said. “My aunts helped. And anything French was done by my aunt Fleur’s mum.”

“Speaking of French,” James said, in between bites, “do you know how old Eponine is?”

Albus scanned the crowd for Eponine, Victoire’s cousin, and found her standing at the buffet line. She was very pretty, with hair as blonde as Aunt Fleur’s and eyes that were practically ice.

“She looks around our age,” Albus said. “I don’t know for sure.”

James nodded. “I wonder if she’d dance with me later.”

“She’s Victoire’s cousin,” Albus said flatly. “And what about Meg?”

“She’s not my cousin,” James pointed out. “And it’s just dancing.”

The chatter of the crowd died down slightly during dinner, but picked up again as soon as people finished. After the buffet tables were cleared away, Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Granny Tonks, James, Landon, Gabriella, and Amy all made toasts. Then came the dances. Teddy and Victoire danced their first dance as a couple. Victoire danced with Uncle Bill. Teddy danced with Granny Tonks. After Granny Tonks gave Teddy back to Victoire, the music sped up and a dozen or so people migrated to the dance floor.

“Amy?” Landon said, holding out his hand.

Amy turned to Matt. “Will you be okay if I go dance?”

Matt blushed. “I’ll be fine, Amy. Go dance.”

Amy and Landon joined the throngs of people on the dance floor. James excused himself in order to find Eponine, leaving Albus, Matt, and Rose alone.

“She’s gone back to thinking I’m a little kid,” Matt said. “Mum and Dad are doing it, too. All three of them have walked on eggshells around me ever since I got home. It’s driving me mad.”

Albus and Rose exchanged a glance. They’d sort of been doing the same thing, ever since Matt had his breakdown in November, but he apparently hadn’t noticed.

“Mum didn’t even want me to come tonight,” Matt continued. “She thought it would be too much.”

“How have you been so far?” Rose asked. “Honestly.”

Matt shrugged. “I’m fine, I swear. I mean, I’m glad I went to the buffet with you instead of going when everyone else did. And I don’t really want to go dance, but I’m okay.”

“You can go inside if you need to,” Rose said. “Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur won’t mind.”

“Thanks,” Matt said.

“How have you been since going home?” Albus asked. “Have you…?”

“Only twice,” Matt said. “Once in King’s Cross, right after I found my parents. Some first year rammed their trolley into me and I tripped over someone else’s cat and I got really dizzy. Dad Apparated me home right there in the middle of everything. I was okay after that. And the second one was last night-“

“Which would explain why your mum didn’t want you to come tonight,” Rose interrupted.

Matt nodded. “I suppose, yeah. It was after a really bad nightmare. But I can’t control what I dream about. Already tried doing that with Occlumency and that was a disaster.”

“My mum feels awful about that,” Rose said quietly. “She keeps asking me how you are. I told her you’d be here tonight so she’ll probably come talk to you.”

“It’s not her fault,” Matt said. “She’s probably onto something and if she tried it with someone else, I bet it would work. Nothing ever works the way it’s supposed to with me.”

“It was worth a shot,” Rose said. “Oh, I think your dad’s on his way over.”

Matt groaned. “Probably because he noticed Amy isn’t over here anymore.”

Mr. Eckerton sat down in Amy’s vacated seat. He was dressed in emerald green dress robes. Albus wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the man wearing something other than Ministry robes.

“Mum sent me over here to check on you,” Mr. Eckerton said.

“I’m fine. I swear,” Matt muttered.

Mr. Eckerton nodded. “Well, if you need to go home, just let us know. Anytime. We don’t mind.”

“Just go enjoy yourself. Ask Mum to dance,” Matt said.

“Maybe I will,” Mr. Eckerton said as he stood up. “Good to see you again, Albus, Rose.”

“See what I mean?” Matt said after his dad left. “Actually, Al, that reminds me. What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?”

“Nothing, now that Dad’s not Head Auror,” Albus said. He was quite excited not to have to go to a fancy party this year.

“Would your parents mind if I spent the night, then?” Matt asked. “My parents won’t let me stay by myself and they have to go to Laurentis’s party. Dad can’t afford to get on her bad side. Amy’s got a party, too, and she said she’d skip it to hang out with me, but I don’t need a babysitter.”

“But you shouldn’t be alone,” Rose said. “Not until your panic attacks are under control.”

“I swear, I’m fine!” Matt said.

“Of course you can come over,” Albus said. “My parents won’t care. I don’t know what they’re doing that night, but I’ll be home.”

“Thanks,” Matt said quietly.

“I’m going for more butterbeer,” Albus said. “Anyone want one?”

“Sure,” Matt said.

“No thanks,” Rose added.

Albus nodded, then got up. He wandered over to the drinks table, where Fred and Bradley were currently concocting some sort of drink out of firewhisky, rum, and who knew what else. Albus declined their offers to try it, and headed back to the table with his two butterbeers.

“Hey, Potter.”

Albus nearly dropped the butterbeers. He turned and saw Dawlish standing near the entrance of the marquee, wearing dress robes. Albus squinted, wondering if he needed glasses, but there was no question that it was Dawlish. Albus and Dawlish made eye contact and Dawlish beckoned Albus over with a glance toward the garden. Albus set the butterbeer down on the nearest table and hurried over. What was Dawlish doing at Teddy and Victoire’s wedding? And what did he want?

30. The New Year

It was much quieter outside the marquee than inside it. There was the muffled sound of the wedding guests and Albus could hear the gentle crash of waves against the shore, but that was it. A few other guests had wandered outside to enjoy quiet moments either alone or with a significant other, but they were all too absorbed in their own worlds to notice Albus or Dawlish.

Dawlish had walked away from the marquee, and by the time Albus made it outside, Dawlish was by the ocean, meandering along the wet sand. Albus hurried over to the Auror, careful not to startle him. When Albus reached him, Dawlish stopped walking and stared at the waning moon as it shimmered over the sea.

“How was your holiday, Potter?” Dawlish asked, not looking away from the moon.

“Good,” Albus said. “It was good. I suppose it’s still going on, isn’t it?”

Dawlish chuckled. “Yes, I suppose so. And how is your friend? The one who was supposed to testify? I thought I saw him in the marquee.”

“Better,” Albus said.

“Kid’s had a rough life,” Dawlish muttered. “With everything that went on in Australia and well….” He nodded at the moon.

“How do you know about that?” Albus asked, his heart picking up its pace.

“I was curious after the trial. About him and his father’s history with the Australian Ministry. Eckerton’s always been a bit of a mystery. Never talks about his life before the UK. So I looked into it. Dug up some information.”

Albus’s mouth fell open. He doubted either Matt or Mr. Eckerton would be happy that it was so easy for a stranger to figure out their history.

Dawlish smirked. “Don’t look so worried. There are perks to being the eldest Auror, one of the few left to have served in the war. People don’t tell me ‘no’ very often. I’m not going to tell anyone. As far as I’m concerned, Eckerton did what was necessary to protect his kid. I’ve never had children, but if I did, I’d like to think I’d be that kind of father.”

“I’m sure you would be, sir,” Albus said, still uncomfortable with what Dawlish could do when he was curious.

“There you go with the ‘sir’ again,” Dawlish said.

“Sorry,” Albus muttered. “Er, I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?”

Dawlish laughed. “Teddy invited me. Only one out of the whole department who was invited, save for Ron Weasley of course.”

“Were you at the ceremony? I didn’t see you.”

“First lesson at the Auror Academy: Blend in with the crowd. I’m taking off now, though.” He raised his voice. “Just wanted to wish you a happy Christmas.” Taking a step closer to Albus, he lowered his voice again. “It’s hard to talk much when you’re interning now that Johnson has actually taken an interest in your studies.”

Dawlish stared hard into Albus’s eyes and winked. Suddenly, Albus understood. Dawlish was giving him the opportunity to give any information he had on Elsie, in a place that was free from the prying eyes of Johnson and Laurentis.

“Oh!” Albus said loudly. “Er, happy Christmas to you, too.” He lowered his voice. “Elsie Willinson is bringing someone to Hogsmeade to live in the cave in the mountain above the village. Her brother thinks it’s a stupid idea. I think it might be whoever killed Sheldon.” Albus then proceeded to tell Dawlish everything he’d overheard.

Dawlish listened carefully the whole time, never interrupting, his brows furrowed. When Albus finished, Dawlish didn’t say anything.

“Er, what do you think?” Albus asked, suddenly doubting himself. “Do you think it’s the murderer?”

“Could be,” Dawlish said. “Could just as easily be an estranged family member. That happens all the time with old pureblood families. Or it could be an illegal pet. Or perhaps just a story she cooked up for attention. Without proof, we have nothing we could bring in front of the Wizengamot.”

Albus let his gaze fall to the ground. “Oh.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Dawlish continued. “It’s something. And it’s a lot more than we had before, and we wouldn’t have it without you. I appreciate it.”

“What will you do now? Bring Elsie in for an interview? Stake out Hogsmeade?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, but don’t be surprised if you hear nothing about this for weeks or even months. We have to tread carefully due to Johnson and Laurentis. And Albus, don’t do anything stupid. Your only job is to give us information on the Willinson girl. Nothing more. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Okay,” Albus said, feeling slightly dejected. He was an intern at the Auror Department. Couldn’t he do something else besides spying on Elsie?

“Now, have a good new year,” Dawlish said, raising his voice again. “I’ll see you at the Ministry.”

“Yeah, have a happy new year, too,” Albus said. “See you then.”

Dawlish disappeared with a crack, only the displaced sand where he’d stood as evidence he’d ever been there. Two seconds later, a wave crashed into Albus’s feet and as it receded, Dawlish’s footprints disappeared.

Albus wandered back to the marquee, making sure to give all the couples snogging in the moonlight a wide berth. He noticed Bradley and Eponine sitting together on the shore, a few yards down from where he and Dawlish had been. James’s conscious must’ve gotten the better of him and decided not to ask Eponine for an innocent dance. Probably a wise decision if he wanted to stay with Meg Johnson.

The bridal party table was empty when Albus reached it. A few half-eaten pieces of cake and nearly empty butterbeers were scattered on it, but there was no sign of Matt or Rose. Albus glanced at the dance floor and saw Teddy and Victoire in the middle, surrounded by Amy, Gabriella, Landon, James, and a host of other Weasley cousins. The dance floor seemed to be monopolized by the younger generation, the older Weasleys sticking to the outer edges. Most remained at the tables. Albus noticed his own parents deep in discussion with Matt’s parents. Muriel seemed to be regaling Aunt Alicia and Uncle George with some tale or another. Judging from the look on Uncle George’s face, it didn’t seem to be a particularly interesting tale.

Lily walked by, with a large slice of cake, and Albus flagged her down. She sat next to him and started eating. “I love cake,” she said, after swallowing the first bite.

“Have you seen Rose?” Albus asked.

“She left with Matt a few minutes ago,” Lily said. “Are the two of them together? I overheard a few Hufflepuffs saying they were, but then Rose went to Hogsmeade with that bloke from Slytherin.”

“No, they aren’t,” Albus said as he stood up. “I’ll see you later.”

Lily nodded, her mouth full of cake.

Albus left the marquee once again, this time turning toward the house rather than the beach. He went in the back door, emerging in the kitchen. The house was silent, although it looked like a tornado had passed through. Or a wedding had just taken place. Albus checked the den and then went upstairs, where he saw a light on in Victoire’s room.

Rose and Matt sat on Victoire’s bed amongst various items of clothing and bags the bridesmaids had left there earlier. Neither of them were talking.

“Where have you been?” Rose asked, looking up at Albus. “You went off to get butterbeer half an hour ago.”

“Talking to Dawlish,” Albus said as he sat down next to her.

“The Auror, Dawlish?” Rose asked. “What did he want?”

“Just to say hi,” Albus said. “He sat with me at the trial. Thinks Laurentis and Johnson are barking mad.”

“Mum reckons he’s turning into Mad-Eye Moody,” Rose said. “Dawlish.”

Albus smirked. “I can see that, from what I’ve heard about Mad-Eye. So, what have you two been up to?”

“Just needed a break,” Matt said. “Your cousins are really…loud.”

Albus laughed. “And by now they’ve had enough alcohol so they’re even louder than normal.”

“This only the first of many,” Rose said. “Victoire and Teddy are the first. Then there will be a dozen more weddings.”

“And stag nights,” Albus added, thinking about the other night. “I’ve got to tell both of you what happened that night.”

“You already told me,” Rose said. “You went to that Muggle club.”

“I didn’t tell you the whole story,” Albus said. “I lost track of everyone at the club and wound up on the dance floor with this Muggle girl and I sort of panicked.”

Matt turned and stared at Albus. “What do you mean, you panicked?”

“My heart was racing and I felt like I was going to be ill and I just had to leave. It seemed like everything and everyone was closing in on me,” Albus explained. “It was like what happens to you…when you get a panic attack.”

“What happened when you left?” Matt asked.

“Everything was fine again. Then Teddy and everyone came out and found me and we all left. They were all rowing about who was supposed to have been watching me.”

“It was stupid of them to take you to a club,” Rose said. “You’re underage.”

“What does it mean, though?” Albus asked. “That’s never happened to me before.”

“It doesn’t mean you’ve got an anxiety disorder like I do,” Matt said. “A lot of people have a panic attack at some point in their lives. You had one in a club, and clubs are overcrowded, loud, and there are a lot of blinking lights. Plus, you couldn’t find Teddy and James or any of your cousins. It’s nothing to worry about, Al. It’s not like you’re having them while sitting in the middle of class.”

Albus nodded. He felt slightly better. “What do you think, Rose?”

“Matt’s right,” Rose said. “You got overwhelmed. Maybe stay away from clubs at the next stag party, though.”

“I think it’ll be a while until the next one. I don’t see Stanley or Fred getting married anytime soon,” Albus said, smirking.

Rose laughed. “You’ll get married before the two of them.”

“Yeah, maybe you can find that Muggle girl from the club,” Matt said, smirking.

Albus groaned. “Never going to happen.”

***

Albus found it very strange not to be going to a Ministry party on New Year’s Eve. For the past few years, it had been something of a tradition, and while Albus couldn’t say he’d enjoyed it, he’d gotten used to it. His parents, especially his father, seemed very excited not to have to go to a Ministry party. They were attending a party thrown by Professor Kendrick for all the Hogwarts staff. Albus, Matt, James, and Lily would be alone until the wee hours of the morning, something James in particular was very excited about. Albus wasn’t sure why, seeing as Mum had assured them they’d never have another chore-free holiday again if they threw a party of their own.

Albus had sent an owl to Kaden seeing if he would be free of his grandparents and Aunt Marge in time to spend New Year’s at Grimmauld Place, but never heard back. When Albus told his dad about this, he immediately went to the Dursleys and returned with a disgusted and annoyed look on his face. Apparently he’d walked in on not only Dudley and Christina, but also Vernon, Petunia, and Aunt Marge all having after dinner drinks. Aunt Marge wasted no time in telling him he’d corrupted both Durlsey children. Kaden, apparently, would not be able to come for New Year’s.

“You don’t think James is actually going to throw a party, do you?” Matt asked nervously as they sat in the drawing room New Year’s Eve.

“I’m 99% sure he won’t,” Albus said. “Mum would kill him. She was going to let Rose and Hugo come over, but then James wanted Bradley, Ben, and Cedric to come over, so she had to put a ban on all cousins. She said we’ve got enough cousins to qualify as a party.”

Matt laughed. “Well, that’s true.”

“James then suggested Teddy could supervise and Mum laughed.”

“Are they back from their honeymoon?” Matt asked.

Albus nodded. “They got back yesterday. Had to keep it short because Victoire is due back at work tomorrow.”

Mum walked into the drawing room, doing her hair with her wand as she went, followed by James. “Come on, Mum, please?” James asked.

“I already told you, no!” Mum said, shaking her head. “No parties. And if your cousins come over, it’ll be a party.”

“I’m not talking about them!” James said. “I want Meg to come over.”

Mum burst out laughing so hard she had to sit down on the couch next to Albus to catch her breath. “Oh, that’s a good one, James. You think I’d let you have your girlfriend over, unsupervised?”

“Then how about Nathan?” James asked. “He’s not a cousin or a girlfriend.”

“No,” Mum said.

“Then how come Al gets to have a friend over?” James asked, glaring at Albus and Matt.

“James, you sound like a twelve-year-old,” Mum said flatly. “Matt is here because his parents didn’t want him staying home alone.”

“But-“

“Enough, James,” Mum said. “Harry, are you almost ready?”

A few moments later Dad appeared in the doorway, wearing the same robes he’d worn to Teddy and Victoire’s wedding.

“All right,” Mum said as she stood up. “If you need anything, Floo us at the Three Broomsticks.” She turned to Matt. “You can’t Floo to the Minister’s Mansion from here, so Floo us at the Three Broomsticks if you need anything.” She turned to Albus, giving him a significant look. “Anything.”

“You worry too much,” James said. “We’ll be fine. Go have fun with all the professors. And please tell me if any of them do anything embarrassing.”

It took a few more minutes of reassurance, but eventually Albus’s parents left. As soon as they’d gone, James clapped his hands together and grinned widely.

“Well, let’s get the party started, shall we?” he said.

“You’re not actually-“ Albus began.

James laughed. “Of course not. Even I’m not that stupid. But I do need to go out for a half hour or so. See you in a bit.” With a wave, he grabbed his cloak off the coat rack and disappeared out the front door.

“What’s he up to?” Matt asked.

“Haven’t the slightest,” Albus said. “Surely something Mum wouldn’t approve of. Want to Exploding Snap? We’ll both stand a chance of winning without John here.”

Four games later, the door opened and James walked back into the drawing room, a paper bag clutched in his right hand, Meg Johnson’s hand clutched in his left. Her cheeks red from the cold and she was grinning widely.

Albus smirked. “Booze and a girl, James? Mum’s going to have you cleaning the loo with a toothbrush.”

“First, the booze is perfectly legal,” James said, pulling a fifth of whisky out of the paper bag. “I’m even of age in the Muggle world. Second, she’s not going to find out Meg was here.”

“How did you get out of the minister’s party?” Matt asked.

“I didn’t,” Meg said. “I snuck away. Dad never pays any attention to me at those things. He’s too busy sucking up to people. What about you?”

“My dad didn’t make me go this year,” Matt said.

“We’ll be in the kitchen,” James said. “I’m making dinner. You two and Lily can help yourselves to the leftovers as soon as we’re done.”

“Always classy, your brother,” Matt said once James and Meg had gone downstairs.

Albus smirked. “Let’s just get a pizza. Mum left us some Muggle money.”

Once they’d picked up the pizza and delivered a few slices to Lily, Albus and Matt shut themselves in Albus’s room, thankful that it was far enough away from James’s room that they wouldn’t hear anything once James and Meg ventured out of the kitchen. They sat on the bed, the pizza in between them, and Albus was struck by how normal it was. For so many years he’d spent New Year’s at fancy parties, he’d almost forgotten what it was like just to stay in and do nothing.

“This is so much better than a party at the Minister’s Mansion,” Albus said in between bites.

Matt nodded. “My grandparents had a New Year’s party every year until we moved. They love parties. Any excuse to throw one, and they’d throw it. They threw this huge going away party for us and Amy told me it was a disaster. I don’t remember much of it, but it ended with my mum getting into it with Cinda. Mum didn’t want the party.”

“Do they still do New Year’s parties?” Albus asked.

“Most years. We went during first and second years. And most of the years before that, unless there was a full moon over the holiday. Actually, this is the first New Year’s where I haven’t gone to a party or been ill.”

“It’s kind of brilliant, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I just want to get back to Hogwarts. My parents are still driving me mad. Mum almost changed her mind about me coming over here when she found out your parents wouldn’t be here.”

“How’d you convince her?”

“Told her you’re the one who always gets me to the hospital wing when I need to go so she could trust you.”

“True,” Albus said. “But I’m surprised it worked.”

“Dad helped.”

They finished off the pizza and then Albus brought out his dad’s chess set. Albus used his father’s chessmen while Matt used a spare set. The spare chessmen didn’t trust Matt and second guessed his every move, making the game take twice as long as normal.

“Knight to E6,” Albus said, instructing his knight to take one of Matt’s pawns.

Suddenly, Matt turned as pale as Albus’s chessmen. His hand, which had been poised over the remains of his pawn, began to shake.

“What’s wrong?” Albus asked, confused as to what could’ve triggered Matt’s panic.

“I just heard a noise downstairs,” he whispered. “Someone’s in the house.”

“It’s probably just Lily. Or James and Meg,” Albus said, not wanting to think about the latter two.

Matt shook his head. “I haven’t heard Lily come out of her room, and James and Meg walked past a few minutes ago, but haven’t gone back down.”

Albus swallowed and slowly stood up. He grabbed his wand off his bedside table. “Get your wand.”

“It’s downstairs in my overnight bag,” Matt said as he shakily stood up.

Albus turned around and yanked the beater’s bat signed by the 2013 Puddlemere United team off the wall and handed it to Matt without a word. Quietly, the two slipped out of Albus’s room and crept downstairs.

“Should we get James?” Matt whispered as they passed James’s room.

“No,” Albus said. “I don’t want to walk in on them.”

“Good point,” Matt said.

Once they reached the last staircase, Albus could hear movement in the drawing room. The floor was creaking. They reached the landing and Albus lifted his wand higher, pointed at the door to the drawing room. Matt stayed behind him, the beater’s bat shaking in his hand.

Albus reached for the knob just as it began to twist on its own. Albus stepped back as the door swung open and he shouted the first spell that came to his mind. “Petrificus Totalus!”

Matt screamed and dropped the beater’s bat on his own foot, causing his scream to intensify. The intruder leapt aside and Albus’s spell ricocheted off a glass bookcase, shattering one of the panes onto the floor.

“Shit!” the intruder shouted, her blonde hair flailing in front of her face. She pushed it aside with her hands, revealing herself.

“Amy,” Albus groaned. “What the hell?”

“Do you usually hex everyone who comes into your house?” Amy asked.

“No,” Albus muttered, suddenly feeling very stupid. “What are you doing here?”

“She’s probably here to check on me,” Matt said, wincing as he sat down in the nearest armchair and examined his foot. “Sorry, I should’ve known Mum and Dad would send you. We thought you were an intruder.”

“Mum and Dad did not send me,” Amy said as she knelt down and looked at Matt’s foot. After a few moments, she touched the tip of her wand to it and Matt immediately relaxed. “It’s not broken. Just bruised. What were you doing trying to defend yourself with a beater’s bat anyway? What happened to your wand?”

“I left it down here,” Matt said. “And if Mum and Dad didn’t send you, why are you here? I thought you were at a party.”

Amy sighed and sat down on the couch. “I was. For about five minutes. Then my pager went off. It was about Burke.”

Albus sat down next to Amy. “What happened? Is he all right?”

Amy shook her head. “He’s in St. Mungo’s. He’s been seizing on and off all night. And his disease has progressed much more since I last saw him. How has he been teaching?”

“Er, he really hasn’t,” Matt said. “He’s just sits in his chair and watches us. Potions is basically a study hall.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. He’s nearly paralyzed,” Amy said quietly.

“I guess his potion hasn’t been working,” Albus said.

Amy groaned. “That one with all the smoke? It’s been making things worse. A number of healers agree that the potion is what’s been causing his seizures. They aren’t a normal symptom of ALS.”

“But I thought he was a potions genius!” Matt said. “That’s why Mum and Dad hired him!”

“He is,” Amy assured him. “But he hasn’t been sending that potion of his in for proper testing. He did with yours, don’t worry. But with his own…he was on a very tight schedule. He didn’t want to waste time going through proper channels.”

“How long does he have?” Albus asked quietly.

“No way to tell. Could be weeks, months, a year. But he’s in St. Mungo’s until the end now. Even he’s accepted it. He gave me all his notes for the potions he’s working on. Wants me to keep going on them.”

“Will you?” Matt asked.

“I don’t think so. I’ll pass them along to Potions Development and see if they want any, but I just don’t have the time. Potions Development will pick up any that are worth anything. And knowing Burke, that’ll be all but his ALS one.”

“And now Kendrick will have to find another potions professor,” Albus said. “Would you do it?”

Amy laughed. “No. Kendrick needs someone permanent. I’d sub for him if he asked me to, until they find a permanent replacement, but that’d be it.”

“I wish you’d stay,” Matt said quietly. “You were good.”

Amy smiled. “Thanks. But I can’t, and you don’t even take potions anymore. God, you still look pale and shaky. Did I really freak you out that much?”

Matt’s cheeks reddened. “No.”

Amy groaned. “I did. I’m sorry. Mum and Dad are going to kill me.”

“I won’t tell them,” Matt assured her. “If I do they’ll just tiptoe around me even more.”

“They’ll get better,” Amy said as she stood up. “But they’ll always worry about you. Now, it’s nearly midnight. No point in me going back to my party. Have you got anything to ring in the new year?”

“James bought something,” Albus said. “But he’s upstairs with his girlfriend.”

Amy snorted. “Well, good thing I brought my own.” She reached into her cloak and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “Al, have you got glasses? This will just be another thing not to tell Mum and Dad. Or your mum and dad.”

Albus laughed. Despite all that had happened in the past year, in this moment, right now, the new year was looking up.