April, 1993

Hogwarts School:

Harry was lifted onto the shoulders of his Slytherin teammates and paraded around the pitch. He had just won his third game of the season, beating out Ravenclaw, and now they would play Gryffindor for the finals. His sister Lexy also played on the team as a Chaser, while Harry was Seeker. Lexy was grinning as she snapped his photo with her new Insta-Magik camera she'd gotten for Christmas that year.

"Three cheers for the Slytherin Skyrocket!" she yelled, jumping up and down. She had coined that nickname for her brother when he started getting known for his signature move—the Snape Special-which was a spectacular dive from over eighty feet above the pitch. Now he was even faster due to his new broom, the Nimbus 2001, which he had earned the money for himself by selling a certain sexy photo of his dad, Master Healer Severus Snape.

Severus was actually his and Lexy's adopted father, though only Lexy carried his name. Harry had kept his real dad's name, to honor the man who had died defeating Voldemort, James Potter. They also had a small sister, Eileen Lily, who was three, and Lexy's half-sister by blood, since her mother had married Severus years ago. Alaina was an American and a Muggle, but Harry considered her his mum, since he barely remembered his real mother, Lily, who had died when he was only four, after a long battle with lupus.**

Finally his ecstatic teammates put Harry down, slapping him on the back.

"You done good, Potter," praised Flint, the team captain. "Best Seeker in a century, I'll bet."

"And that new Nimbus sure helped," Draco said, mussing up Harry's hair playfully. He played second Chaser. "Mum promised me my own if I keep my grades up."

"Stop, Malfoy!" Harry ordered, mock-cuffing Draco in return about the back of the head. "You know I hate it when my hair goes all crazy." He tried without success to smooth down the messy mop.

Draco grinned devilishly. "You look electrified, Potter." he smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes at him. "Yeah, whatever. How do you think you did on the last exam in Transfiguration?"

"I think I aced it," replied the Chaser. "You?"

Harry shrugged. "About the same as usual." He didn't want to brag, but he was a natural in that subject.

"Which means he got the top grade in the class," Lexy translated. Her strength was Charms and also potions. "Dad's gonna be real proud of you this year, Harry. Not only are you doing well in academics, but you're becoming a great Seeker too. Want me to send him the picture I just took?" she offered. "So he can see how well our star Seeker did?"

"Sure, Lex." Harry said. He was sorry Severus had missed the match, but he knew his father couldn't help it. Severus had owled him just that morning, apologizing that he had to cancel watching the game because he had to an emergency appendectomy on a five-year-old boy. Harry understood though. His father was in high demand, he was the best Healer in St. Mungos, especially when it came to doing pediatric surgery or curing spell damage. Harry someday wanted to be both Healer and Potions Master, like Severus, and he knew that if he had to be operated on, the only wand he'd allow near him was his father's.

While Lexy called for her owl, Sneetches, to deliver the picture to Snape's office, Harry followed the rest of his teammates into the Slytherin locker room to change out of his Quidditch robes.

As he pulled on his uniform, Harry listened to the discussions of his mates. The most discussed topic, besides the price of horned slugs at the apothecary or the match between the Wasps and the Cannons coming up next week, was the trip to Hogsmeade later on that day.

Harry listened with envy as the older Slytherins, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth years, all started talking about getting a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, and choosing sweets from Honeydukes and touching the door of the haunted Shrieking Shack for two minutes with getting their soul sucked out by the wraiths who lived there. He so wanted to go to Hogsmeade with the rest of his team . . . well, the rest of the team except Draco, who was also a second year and couldn't go either.

He looked over at Draco, who was knotting his tie, and sighed. "I sure wish I could go to Hogsmeade like the rest of them."

"Me too. It sucks we have to wait a whole other year before we can go," Draco commiserated. "I want to touch the door of the Shrieking Shack."

"I want to have butterbeer and eat a chocolate bar," Harry said wistfully. He knew if he asked, Flint or one of the other team members would happily bring him back something, but he didn't want to just eat the food, he wanted to get the whole experience. If only the school rules let second years go to Hogsmeade!

"Keep dreaming, Harry," Draco sighed. "It's all we can do in Binn's class anyway." They had that class as their last one on Friday, just before dinner.

While any other professor would have cancelled class due to the Quidditch game in the early afternoon, Binns, a ghost, refused to do so. Binns never cancelled class unless directly ordered to by Dumbledore, he felt nothing was more important than History of Magic, and he had died lecturing it. Harry wished he had died and gone to heaven, instead of lingering here on earth and making his afternoon miserable. Then again, Binns was so boring probably God and the angels didn't want to listen to him.

Harry scowled as he tied his sneakers. "I wish there was a way we could . . . skip History of Magic," he grumbled.

Draco's eyes widened. "And just how do you think we could do that, Potter? You know the only excuse Binns ever accepts is a signed note from a Healer to miss class. You got any of those lying about?"

"Well, no." Harry muttered, his face falling. Then he brightened as a new idea bloomed in his cunning brain. "But wait . . . maybe I can get hold of my dad's official stationary . . . the one he uses to write letters home to patients with test results and notes for the primary schoolers who need a sick excuse," Harry said excitedly.

Draco stared at him. "What are you thinking of, Harry?"

"I'm thinking of a way to ditch Binns' class and have some fun."

"You mean you're going to . . . forge a note from your dad?" Draco coughed. "Harry, you're insane! Do you know how much trouble you'll be in if you're caught?"

"But that's just it. I'm not going to get caught, because you can cover for me, right? You can tell old Ghastly that I all of a sudden came down with . . . uh . . . a stomach flu . . . and the last time you saw me I was . . . puking up my toenails or something."

"You want me to lie for you, Potter, so you can go off and have a good old time while I'm stuck listening to Binns drone on and on about the stupid Goblin rebellion of 1778?" Draco frowned.

"You want to come, Malfoy? Fine. I'll write the note for both of us." Harry said. "Dad was supposed to be here for the game, and Binns will never know if he was here or not, since he never leaves his classroom. I could write the note and leave it on his desk Saturday morning or whatever."

"Why don't you just get Lexy to hand it to him before class?" suggested Draco.

"No way. She'd never go for it. She's Miss Obey the Rules, and she'd be sure to try and stop us."

"Would she . . . tell your dad?" asked Draco.

"No . . . she's not a snitch, but if Dad ever found out or something . . . she couldn't lie to him and say she didn't know anything. So it's easier for everyone this way." Harry said. "Hang on a minute," he said, and pulled out a small box from his pocket. "Bought these off Gred and Forge. Skivving Snackboxes. It's candy that will make you sick enough to skip class. There's Fever Fudge and Nauseating Nougat. So we won't be totally lying our arses off."

Malfoy stared at the innocent looking piece of nougat. "How sick will this make me? I don't want to be puking for hours."

"Fred said you only feel sick to your stomach and barf once. Then it wears off after twenty minutes and you're fine. He's already tested it on himself . . . and Ron too." Harry said. "It's made with a small amount of ipecac syrup."

"Huh? What's that?"

"A Muggle medicine that makes you vomit. It's harmless. My dad sometimes uses it to make little kids throw up if they've swallowed stuff, like a penny or a magnet, little things like that. It's easier on their systems than a Vomit Inducer." Harry explained glibly.

"How'd the Weasleys know about it then?" asked Draco, puzzled.

"Dad gave their mum some to keep once, when Ron swallowed a button when he was little. They remembered it once I mentioned that, and decided to try it out. It works. Trust me."

"If I die, Potter, I'll come back and haunt you for all eternity," promised Draco.

"Malfoy, don't be a drama queen!" Harry ordered, sniggering. "I'm a Healer's son, for Merlin's sake! My dad taught me all about safe home remedies when I was eight. Ipecac's not fatal. Ready? We have to do this now, while the rest of the team's still here."

"I don't want to sick up in front of them!" Draco protested, for he was a very proud and private individual.

"Witnesses," Harry reminded him. "And there are toilets over here." He said, rolling his eyes. "But hey, if you'd rather be stuck in History of Magic . . ."

"Forget that, Potter!" Draco snorted. He popped the Nauseating Nougat into his mouth and chewed.

Harry followed Draco's example. The sweet didn't taste bad . . . it was sugary and vanilla tasting. He chewed three times to make sure the center was reached, then he swallowed. George had assured him the nougat would take effect in about thirty seconds or less.

Harry wrapped his arms about his stomach and said loudly, so the rest of his teammates that still lingered could hear, "Oooh! All of a sudden, I don't feel good."

"Me neither!" Draco echoed, groaning.

"Do you feel like you're gonna puke?" Harry whimpered, clamping a hand over his mouth as his stomach suddenly started churning.

"Uh huh," Draco replied, then he turned green and dashed for the three toilets at the far end of the locker room.

A moment later Harry raced over too.

"Hey, you two!" called Flint, wincing at the sounds of retching coming from the stalls. "Whatever you've got, don't give to the rest of us. Get to the Hospital Wing and let Pomfrey give you something, got me?"

"Sure, Flint," Draco called weakly. "Soon as I stop throwing up, okay?"

"Must be astomach flu," Harry called from inside the stall, just before he started a second round of vomiting. "Damn!" he swore, thinking Fred and George must have added a bit too much ipecac to this batch. But it would be fine, the sicker he appeared, the easier it would be for him to forge Severus' signature and write the note.

"Maybe it was something they ate?" mused a teammate.

"Well, I'm not standing around here waiting to catch it," argued another. "Hogsmeade, here I come!"

Inside the stall, Harry smiled slightly. Here we come too, even if you don't know it yet. Of course, we'll have to keep out of sight mostly, but that's okay. I can use a charm to change our hair color and eyes. Too bad I can't lose my glasses, but . . . oh well. "Draco?" he called softly. "You all right?"

"Just brilliant, why?" came the sulky answer.

Harry listened for the sound of footsteps and the slamming of the locker room door. "Coast is clear, Malfoy. Let the Great Hogsmeade Caper begin!" He cautiously opened the stall door and came out, using a cup to rinse out his mouth. Then he waited for Draco. "We can use the secret passage underneath the one-eyed humpbacked witch statue that the twins showed me," he told the other Slytherin.

Draco nodded, looking slightly green still. "This had better wear off soon, Potter, or I'm killing you." He also rinsed out his mouth, thinking he had lost his mind to be going along with this scheme. Narcissa would skin him if she ever found out. "All right. Let's go."

"Wait. Let me cast an Illusion Charm first," Harry cautioned, waving his wand. Soon they were disguised, Harry now had red hair and blue eyes, like a Weasley, and Draco dark hair that stuck up and brown eyes.

They departed the locker room, careful to move like they were feeling sick, and headed to the corridor with the one-eyed humpbacked witch statue.

2

Sneaking

The tunnel led directly to Honeydukes Sweetshop, and ended in the dusty cellar beneath the shop where lots of crates and boxes were stored. Some of the crates held only packing material, while others had candy within them and were sealed with magical charms. Harry lit up his wand as he emerged from the tunnel, illuminating the cellar. Draco followed close on his heels, his wand also glowing brightly.

Both boys couldn't believe their luck. They had actually gotten away from the school with no one the wiser. Filled with supreme overconfidence, Harry whispered to his Housemate, "We did it! Look at all the things in here." He waved his wand at all the boxes and crates and large sacks containing sweets.

"This is just the storeroom, Harry. The real good stuff's all in the store above." Draco reminded. "Don't touch anything in here. It's probably all charmed with alarm spells."

"I know that!" Harry growled. "I'm not stupid." He crept towards the stairs, at the top was a trapdoor that he prayed wasn't locked. "Let me go first," he hissed. "I'll let you know when it's safe to come up."

"Okay. If you run into a problem, stamp on the door three times so I'll know to hide."

"Right," Harry agreed, then he reached the trapdoor and pushed on it gently.

It was stuck, so he put a little more muscle into it and the door silently lifted.

Harry quickly stuck his head out to check if anyone was watching.

But there was no one back in the small office watching the trapdoor rise up. Harry crawled out, gently letting the door close.

There was a small desk and a calendar on the wall. To Harry's surprise, he saw that a date was marked in green ink that read: Check-up with Healer Snape at 8:45.

So, the shop owner was a patient of his father's. Harry shook his head. It figured! Everyone he met nowadays seemed to be a patient of his dad's, the Healer's popularity had risen tenfold ever since he'd become an object of affection to half the female student body at Hogwarts.

He glanced about, hearing children's voices coming from the shop and the sound of many feet walking. He quickly went back to the trapdoor and yanked it up. "Draco, come on!" he hissed.

Soon his fellow Slytherin had joined him, carefully brushing off the dust from his uniform, making Harry do the same.

"Now what?" asked Harry, peering through the flimsy curtain that separated the office from the rest of the shop.

"Now we go out," Draco nudged Harry through the curtain, whispering, "Just act like we wandered back here by mistake if anyone sees."

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," Harry quoted from The Wizard of Oz, snickering.

Draco eyed him. "What are you talking about, Potter?"

"Muggle reference, never mind." Harry said. "It'll take too long to explain right now."

But no one saw the two boys come out from behind the curtain and enter the shop.

The scrumptious smell of sugar and luscious chocolate filled the air and Harry was sure he was in heaven. His mouth watered and he made straight for a large rack with all kinds of chocolates on display. There were all sorts of chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, bonbons, dark chocolate squares, chocolate turtles, just about every kind of chocolate you could name.

There were also things he'd never seen before, like Hot Fudge Cauldrons and Nutty Caramel Cakes. Draco explained about the Hot Fudge Cauldrons. "Those're chocolate cupcakes with melted hot fudge inside. When you take off the top, the fudge is all hot and gooey inside and you can drink it like cocoa. It's delicious! Mother always gets me a few for my birthday and on Christmas."

Harry licked his lips. "I've never had those before. Dad doesn't like me to eat too many sweets. He says they make me too hyper. Are they new?"

"They came out last year," Draco replied. "Let's buy some."

Harry always carried a small bag of money, in case he ever needed something, like ice cream or sweets from Diagon Alley, his dad gave him an allowance for doing certain chores without being told around the house and helping him in his office.

Together, he and Draco bought two bags of all kinds of sweets, including the wonderful Hot Fudge Cauldrons and Nutty Caramel Cakes. Harry couldn't wait to sample them and wished he could share them with Lexy. Maybe he could, if he didn't tell his sister how he'd gotten them himself.

They exited the sweetshop, munching on some truffles, Harry wanted to save the Fudge Cauldrons for later.

Draco looked about, deciding to wait until later to sample the butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. He'd seen several members of the Slytherin Quidditch team enter the establishment and didn't want to risk their disguises being seen through. "Let's go visit the Shrieking Shack."

"All right. But first, let's go to the stationary shop." Harry said.

"What for?"

Harry leaned in and whispered, "So I can get some of my dad's letterhead to write the note, remember? He gets it made there, and orders it in every couple of weeks or so. He mentioned picking some up last time he owled me, before he had the emergency."

"Oh, right."

As they walked to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Harry murmured, "You know the witch who owns Honeydukes had an appointment with my dad written on her calendar. Funny that she's a patient of his."

"Why? Half the school's a patient of Healer Sev's." Draco pointed out. "He's my Healer and Mother's too. And the other half of the school probably sees Healer Morgan. They're the two most popular Healers in St. Mungos."

"Right, I knew that. It's just . . . kind of weird to see that as we were sneaking into the shop," Harry said.

"How are you going to get the stationary?" Draco asked then.

"Oh, that's easy." Harry said dismissively. "They know me over there. Dad sends me there a lot to pick it up if he's shopping with Lexy or Mum here and doesn't want to run over there himself. It's already paid for, so all I need to do is say I'm here to pick it up."

Harry hurried over to the shop and entered it, Draco opted to wait outside and sample some more sweets.

The bell over the door tinkled gently as Harry entered, and Madam Tynsdale looked up from fixing a display of self-writing quills and smiled when she saw who had entered her shop. "Why, hello, Harry! What brings you here this weekend?"

Harry flashed her his most innocent look. "Hello, Madam Tynsdale. My dad sent me here to pick up his letterhead for the office. Is it ready?"

"Of course, Harry. I owled him this morning that it was ready to pick up," the small bird-like woman said. She went behind her counter and picked up a thick rectangular package wrapped in brown paper with the Scrivenshaft quill and ink logo stamped on it. "Here you go! Tell your dad I'll be seeing him soon for my yearly and bringing along my little grandbaby for his first check-up."

"Will do, ma'am." Harry said, picking up one of the sample quills that were always available on the counter, they were free and filled with enough ink for a single sheet of parchment. "Thanks! Bye!"

He walked out of the door, trying not to run, for it would look odd.

So far, so good.

Now he simply had to find a place to write the note.

"Okay, got it," Harry announced to his Housemate. "Is there somewhere I can go to write without being seen?"

"Uh . . .I think there's a bench halfway up the path to the Shrieking Shack," Draco said, recalling it from a discussion he'd heard by some third-years.

They reached the bench, and Harry sat down, the sheaf of stationary in his lap. "You go on up to the Shack. I'll write the note and then I'll join you."

Malfoy eyed him, smirking. "Oh, sure. You're not afraid, are you, Harry?" he teased, making sure no one was in earshot before he said Harry's name.

"You wish," snorted his friend. "I've faced worse than ghosts, Draco. Go on." He waved his Housemate on wards before he untied the bundle and slipped a clean sheet of letterhead from the stack. Leaning upon the stack of parchment, he took the quill from his pocket and began to write carefully in Severus' neat script, which defied the normal scrawl of a Healer.

Professor Binns,

Please excuse my son, Harry Potter, and his Housemate, Draco Malfoy, from History of Magic this Friday, April 12th, 1993, as they have come down with a stomach virus and are highly contagious and cannot attend class. They will make up any work you have assigned.

Sincerely,

Master Healer Severus Snape

Harry signed the missive with his father's usual flourish, he'd had lots of practice as Severus had used old letters for Harry to copy when he was old enough to learn how to write with a quill.

Once the excuse had dried, Harry carefully folded it and slipped it inside his pocket. He would have Hedwig deliver it to Binns' classroom just before they left Hogsmeade. He had been going to wait until tomorrow, but decided he might as well deliver the note sooner rather than later, especially because Severus was supposed to be at Hogwarts watching the game.

Harry felt slightly guilty writing that forgery, but he tried to brush away the feeling by telling himself it was only a small lie. After all, he and Draco had been sick and thrown up, and if his dad had known about it, he would have told them both to go and lie down and not go to class.

Harry rose and followed the path up the hill to the Shack, and saw Draco slowly creep up and lay his hand on the door, which was barred and locked with a large silver padlock and a thick chain. Smirking, Harry slipped up behind Malfoy and screamed, "Ahhh! Run for your life!"

Draco nearly jumped out of his robes!

Harry burst out laughing. "Scared much?"

Draco whirled around, his eyes flashing. "You dumb twit!" he snapped. He smacked Harry across the back of the head. "I almost had a heart attack."

"You mean you almost wet yourself," Harry corrected, snickering.

"Shut up, Potter!" Draco snarled. "Now it's your turn. Go touch the door."

"Okay. I ain't afraid of no ghost," Harry replied and trotted up to the ramshackle building and tapped the door with his palm. "Guess they're all out haunting someone else."

"Keep your hand there for two minutes," ordered the blond Slytherin.

"Ooh, I'm really scared," Harry mocked softly. Then he began to jerk and twitch as if he were having a fit, and slurring his words. His eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a mournful wail. "Oh, they've got me! They've come to take me away, heeheehaha!"

Draco was horrified. He ran up and yanked Harry's hand off the door and cried, "Harry! What's wrong with you?" he thought his friend had been possessed by an evil spirit.

Suddenly Harry stopped his trembling and jerking and winked, then doubled over laughing. "Fooled you, didn't I?"

Draco flushed. "Someday, Potter, you're going to make me so mad I'm going to send you on a one way trip around the world without a broom."

"Yeah, right. Can't you take a joke?"

Draco pretended to be insulted, then he took a sweet from his bag and popped it in his mouth.

Suddenly he began retching and gagging.

"Draco! Are you okay?" Harry cried, sure his friend was choking to death on his bonbon. He tried frantically to recall the spell Severus had shown him for a choking person or the Heimlich maneuver Alaina had taught him and Lexy but his mind was coming up blank.

He drew in a breath to call for help when Draco suddenly spit out the piece of candy and said, "Now the joke's on you."

Harry glared at him. "You idiot! I thought you were really choking."

"Now you know how it feels," Draco retorted smugly.

Harry socked him in the shoulder. "Prat!" Then he grinned. "That was almost as good as the twins' pranks."

"It was way better," argued Draco, then he challenged, "Race you around the Shack!"

Harry sprinted after his agile and sneaky teammate, and the two chased each other, laughing.

When they had enough, they stopped, panting, and Draco suggested they get a cold butterbeer.

"Sounds good. Just let me whistle Hedwig to come and drop off the note." Harry said, and proceeded to summon his familiar. He fed the owl a treat and told her to deliver the note to Binns quickly.

Then he walked into the restaurant and took a table in the far corner, Draco following.

Draco saw to his relief that none of the Slytherin team was still in there.

The boys ordered two butterbeers and sipped them leisurely. They ordered more and began eating their sweets, including the Hot Fudge Cauldrons.

Finally they were stuffed and Harry suggested they stop before they really made themselves sick. Feeling flushed with their triumphant caper, they paid their tab and left, walking quickly back to Honeydukes. Three and a half hours was plenty for a visit, and Harry wanted to get back to his dorm so he could take a nap and pretend to be sick.

They quickly slipped back down the trapdoor, as the shop was now even more crowded and returned to the school.

It was nearly suppertime, but Harry wasn't hungry after eating all the sweets. Neither was Draco. Upon reaching the Slytherin portrait hole, Draco spoke the password, "Runespoor fangs."

The picture of a naga slid aside and the boys stepped through. The portrait hole shut softly behind them.

The common room was deserted. Harry thought nothing of it, as most of his Housemates were probably still at Hogsmeade or returning from class.

He turned to Draco and crowed, "We did it! Are we good or what?"

Before Draco could reply, someone else did.

"What you are, Harry James Severus Potter, is in serious trouble," said a familiar silky voice, sharp with anger.

Harry gulped and looked up to see a furious Master Healer Snape step out from the corridor of the second year dormitory and glare at him ferociously. He was accompanied by the Head of Slytherin, Professor Ivana Markham. They were not amused.

Harry gave them a weak smile and said, "Uh . . . hi, Dad! It's too bad you missed the Quidditch game. Right, Draco?"

Draco too wore a sickly grin. "Absolutely, Healer Sev. It was the best game we ever played."

Severus just glared at them, his eyes glittering.

"Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, my office," ordered Professor Markham. "You have some explaining to do."

Severus didn't know when he'd been more disappointed, ashamed, and angry with his son. Out of all the insane stunts the child had pulled, and there had been many, including the most recent one, where Harry had tried to earn money for a new broom by selling a certain sexy photo of Severus to half the student body, this was by far the worst. Not only had Harry snuck out of the school for a forbidden trip to Hogsmeade, he had also faked illness to skip class, and perhaps the worst part, forged a note to do so on Severus' own stationary! Severus wanted to throttle him, ground him for life, and blister his behind. But for the nonce he contented himself with getting a good grip on his wayward son's ear and marching him down the hall to Professor Markham's office.

"Ow! Ow, Dad, not so hard!" Harry whined.

Severus ignored his son's sniveling, before he was done, Harry would be complaining of a lot more than a sore ear.

Draco winced in sympathy, he was just glad Healer Snape wasn't grabbing his ear as well. Then he wondered just how much the adults knew about their misbehavior and if Markham was going to owl Narcissa. He shivered, imagining just how angry and disappointed she would be in him and he'd probably get a Howler from her at the very least. At worst, she too would come to school, and Draco had a feeling that she'd bring the Black family slipper with her, an object which had disciplined many a naughty child before this.

He groaned silently and wondered how in Merlin's name he'd managed to let Harry convince him this was a great idea.

As Severus marched down the hall, he thought back to how he had intended to surprise his children with a visit and congratulate them on their win. He had felt bad missing Harry and Lexy's game, even though it couldn't be helped. Though he wasn't a true fan of Quidditch he tried to be supportive of his children whenever possible, and he knew it meant a lot to them when he could come watch them play. When he had received the photo Lexy took of Harry and his teammates after winning the match, he had decided to pay his son and daughter a visit, maybe take them out to The Three Broomsticks for some dinner and perhaps to Honeydukes also. He also had to fetch his stationary from Scrivenshaft's and kill two birds with one stone.

He had Apparated to Hogsmeade and stopped in at The Three Broomsticks for a cold drink, his throat was dry from chanting healing spells all morning as he operated on little Michael Bones, nephew of Amelia Bones who was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It had taken two and a half hours to perform the surgery, but the child was recovering nicely.

After ordering a cold glass of honeyed pear liquor, which was one of the few alcoholic drinks he enjoyed, Severus went to look for a table. As the Healer had started to make his way across the room, which was exceptionally crowded, he heard a voice call his name, and almost groaned aloud. The last thing he needed was to be mobbed by hormone-crazed adolescent girls again. He turned slightly and relaxed as he recognized Captain Marcus Flint, one of his patients, sitting around a table with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Hey, Healer Sev! Did you hear about our win?" Flint called, beckoning him over.

Severus approached, noting the half-empty glasses of butterbeer and plates of chips, burgers, and snacks that littered the table. "Congratulations, Marcus. Lexy tells me that you have only one last game to win the Quidditch Cup."

"Yeah, and we're going to kick Gryffindor's arse!" cheered Jasper Malone, who was third Chaser.

Flint kicked him under the table. "Watch the mouth, Malone. Show Healer Snape some respect."

Jasper flushed. "Sorry, sir."

"We couldn't have done it without Harry, Healer Sev," said another teammate. "If he hadn't snatched the Snitch right out from Thompson's nose . . ."

"We were tied, 30-30," Flint informed him. "Have a seat," he offered. "You lot move over and let Healer Sev sit down."

But before the students could get up, Severus shook his head. "No, I can't stay. I have an errand to run and then I'm going up to the castle to visit Harry and Lexy, I wanted to surprise them."

"Oh, then it's too bad Harry's sick," remarked a Beater.

"Sick?" Severus repeated, alarmed.

"Yup. Him and Malfoy were puking their guts up in the locker room before we left to come down here," Flint said. "I told them to go to Pomfrey. I sure hope it ain't catching."

"But at least they got to miss History of Magic." Malone said. "I'd take puking over Binns any day."

"Binns is enough to make me puke."

Severus quickly tossed down his drink and set the glass on the table. "Excuse me, gentlemen. But I need to be going, I will see you later, if Harry feels well enough to come and have lunch." He quickly departed the tavern, then debated upon whether to go directly to the castle or stop in at the stationary first.

He opted for the latter, figuring that Poppy probably was handling Harry and Draco just fine.

But when he reached the stationary store, Madam Tynsdale informed him that his package had already been retrieved . . . by Harry. Severus was confused. "Are you certain, Barbara? Because I just heard that my son is in the Hospital Wing with a stomach ailment. And second years aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade unaccompanied by a professor or parent. Perhaps you were mistaken?"

"Oh, no, Healer Sev." Barbara shook her head. "It was Harry, all right. I'd recognize the imp anywhere, even if he did dye his hair red. He came in and said you told him to pick up your stationary. Is there a problem?"

Severus didn't answer for a moment. Something was definitely off here. First Harry was sick and then he was picking up stationary at Scrivenshaft's? And he'd missed History of Magic? It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Harry had faked being sick to cut class. Why, that conniving deceitful little brat! Just wait till I get my hands on him. His hair won't be the only thing that's red after I get through with him! vowed the Healer. "No, it's no problem. Thank you for having it ready. Good afternoon," he told the shopkeeper, then he turned and walked out, Apparating to the gates of Hogwarts.

He stalked into the castle, keeping a tight rein on his temper. He couldn't believe Harry had actually cut class, his son knew better. Severus had done his best to instill in all his children his own love of learning, and he never would have thought Harry would do such a thing. Seething, he decided to give Harry the benefit of the doubt, and went up to the Hospital Wing on the off chance that Barbara Tynsdale had been wrong.

But when he arrived at the Hospital Wing, it was empty of patients, and there was sign on Madam Pomfrey's office door that read Out For Tea-be back at 5 PM. He was about to turn around and head back downstairs, when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor.

Lexy came bursting into the Hospital Wing, her hair flying all over, and stopped dead when she saw him. "Hi, Dad!" she ran and hugged him. "When did you get here? It's too bad you missed the game, it was awesome! I came to see how Harry and Draco are doing, they got sick and missed History of Magic, but then I guess you know that already since you sent the excused absence note."

Severus hugged his daughter back and his eyebrow went up. So that was why Harry had picked up his stationary, so he could forge his own excused note. Oh, they were going to have a long discussion about this! "Where is that note, Lexy?"

"Uh, Binns has it on his desk," she said, puzzled. "Why?"

"Look around you, Alexis. Do you see your brother or Draco anywhere?" he asked pointedly.

Lexy turned and stared at the rows of empty beds. "But . . . I don't understand. They were sick and throwing up, Jenny heard her brother Jasper say so before they all went to Hogsmeade. Did you take them to the hospital, Dad? What's wrong with them, is it like food poisoning or something?"

"No, it's a disease that strikes teenagers every so often," Severus replied grimly. "It's called Absentitus Malorum, and your brother and Mr. Malfoy have an acute case of it."

"Huh?" Lexy frowned. She had never heard of that disease. "Absentitus . . ." Then it hit her. "He didn't! Oh, that stupid irresponsible idiot! I'm going to kill him! No, I'm going to kill both of them! They skipped class, didn't they?"

"Not only that, but your brother forged that excuse note from me, and took an unauthorized trip to Hogsmeade as well." He frowned sternly at Lexy. "Alexis, did you know about this?"

"No, Dad. How would I? The last time I saw Harry, he was going to change out of his Quidditch robes. I went to class and was there when Hedwig came with the note. I figured Madam Pomfrey must have called you as soon as Harry got to the Hospital Wing so you could write the note, instead of waiting till Monday." Lexy said honestly, meeting his eyes. "Ooh, I can't believe they were so stupid! I want to wring their necks!" she said angrily.

"As do I," said her father. "Although I'm sure Narcissa will deal with Draco appropriately."

Lexy almost felt sorry for Draco. Almost. "This could cost us the Cup! Does Professor Markham know?"

"Not yet, but I will be speaking with her as soon as I retrieve that bogus note," replied Severus.

"You ought to ground his ass for the whole summer, Dad," Lexy stated. "And paddle it too. I would."

Severus's mouth twitched in a half-smile. Lexy looked angry enough to take a switch to her brother right then. "Perhaps I should let you carry out the punishment this time, hmm?" he mused.

"I'd be happy to help you."

He patted her on the back. "He's lucky you're not his mother. But I shall make sure he regrets this, Lexy. Wait for me in the Entrance Hall. As soon as I finish dealing with your brother, I shall meet you there and take you out to The Three Broomsticks and to Honeydukes like I planned originally."

"You mean, that's why you came down?" Lexy asked.

"Yes. If your brother had the sense God gave a gnat, he would have done what he was supposed to and gotten to visit Hogsmeade anyway." Severus shook his head. Then he kissed his daughter on the forehead. "I'm proud one of my children knows how to behave."

"Yeah, I got all the brains in the family," Lexy said. "Thanks, Dad. I'll be waiting." Then she turned and skipped down the hall to the staircase. Harry, you are so dead. Dad's gonna kill you, and I don't blame him one bit. Boys! Grandma was right, they really are God's joke on the universe!

After retrieving the forged note, which Severus admitted looked very authentic, he went to find Professor Markham, who happened to be finishing up some homework in her office. The two agreed that the boys probably were still down in the village, and the best place to wait for them would be in the Slytherin dormitories. Markham was very angry and disgusted at both youngsters and declared she was going to take 50 points and issue detention for a week, in addition to any punishment Severus and Narcissa chose to mete out.

Upon arriving in her office, Ivana cast privacy wards over the room and locked the door. She had Severus sit in front of her desk in a comfy chair, but the two miscreants stand before her. Then she cast both Slytherins a forbidding cold look that froze them all the way to the marrow of their bones. "So . . . it seems you two think that because you're my top Quidditch stars, you can break rules when it suits you. Unauthorized visits to Hogsmeade, lying to your teacher, forging an excuse note, and skipping class. Have I left anything out, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco gulped, her glare could have torched him. "Well . . . ma'am, we weren't lying about being sick . . . not really . . ."

"We did throw up right after the game, ma'am, honest." Harry added, still hoping to mitigate the wrath of his Head and his father.

But Severus knew his son. He could see Harry wasn't sick. "What did you do, young man? You may have vomited, but not from a virus. Did you take a Vomit Inducer or just stick your finger down your throat?"

"Dad!" Harry protested. "I'd never do that!"

Severus' eyes narrowed. He knew the boy was not telling the whole truth. It made him even more furious. Harry knew better than to lie right to his face. He pulled the boy over his lap and landed two stinging smacks to Harry's backside.

"Oww! Dad, no!" Harry cried, horrified. Twelve was too old to spank! Wasn't it?

"Lie to me again, young man, and I'll paddle you in front of your entire House," Severus warned, doling out another two smacks. "Now, you tell me exactly what you took to make yourself sick, or else." He lifted his hand, ready to administer more swats if necessary, though he hoped he wouldn't have to.

"Okay! Just please don't . . . not like this . . ." Harry sniveled, utterly embarrassed. He couldn't believe his dad had spanked him in front of Draco. "It was a Nauseating Nougat. It . . . it had some ipecac in it. That's all, I swear!"

Severus could hear the sincerity in his son's voice and his hand fell to his side. "Where did you get it? Did you make it?"

Harry squirmed, not wanting to get Fred and George in trouble. But he also didn't want a spanking either! "No, sir. I bought it off another student and gave it to Draco."

"I figured as much," said his father disgustedly. He could also guess who it was that had sold Harry the candy. He picked Harry up and set him on his feet. "Don't you ever lie to me again, young man!"

"Yes, sir," Harry murmured, he wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere.

"What you two did is forbidden by all the rules of this school," Professor Markham lectured. "I cannot believe you two, of all my House, would pull a stunt like this. You have disgraced not only yourselves, but Slytherin as well. Sneaking out of the castle was bad enough, but then you add forgery and skipping class to your transgressions . . . I cannot recall when I have ever been so disappointed in any Slytherin. You shall be serving detention all week with me and lose 50 points each."

Both boys gasped. Fifty points! Their Housemates were going to kill them, losing 100 points! And Ivana's detentions were legendary.

"Yes, ma'am. We're sorry," they said contritely, looking down at their shoes.

"That is not all, however. I have spoken to your mother, Mr. Malfoy, and she shall be seeing you shortly to mete out her own discipline." Ivana said frostily.

Now Draco looked as if he wanted to crawl in a hole.

"As for you, Mr. Potter, I shall leave the rest of your punishment up to your father," Ivana continued. "Mr. Malfoy, you are also on suspension from Quidditch, as per your mother's instructions."

Draco looked horrified. "I . . . can't play Quidditch?" he cried, stricken. "But . . . what about the last game?"

"You shall be watching from the stands, I'm afraid," she said coolly. "I can put in our Reserve Chaser and hope it's enough."

Harry looked alarmed. "Am I . . . suspended too?"

"You are," Severus interjected sternly. "No son of mine is going to cut class and forge my signature on an excuse note and get away with it. Whatever possessed you to do such a thing? Forgery's a crime, dammit! They put people away in Azkaban for that. Is that where you want to end up? You are grounded for a month, and I'm taking your broom back home with me, because you obviously aren't responsible enough to keep it here at school. When I came down here, it was to congratulate you and tell you how proud I was, Harry James Severus. Your irresponsible and deceitful actions have now made me ashamed and disappointed in you, and now I don't know if I can trust you. When will you learn to stop and think?"

Harry had a lump in his throat so large he couldn't speak. Severus words were sharp as knives, and they hurt worse than any smacking. He didn't know what he could do that would make things right, and only then did he see how foolish and reckless he had been. He had thought he'd been clever, pulling a fast one on everyone, instead he'd only succeeded in getting everyone mad at him. He knew his mother wasn't going to be pleased at all, for Alaina was a teacher and cutting class was a cardinal sin in her book. She said it was like a slap in the face to a teacher, and while Harry didn't think Binns had feelings to hurt that way, he felt bad disappointing his mother.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I just . . . thought . . . it wouldn't be such a big deal to skip History of Magic. I mean, Binns is so boring . . ."

Severus sighed. "Harry, boring or not, History of Magic is an important course. You need to study the mistakes of the past so you learn not to repeat them and learn how we came to be as we are. If you never learn where you're from, how will you know where you're going in the future? Also, there will be times throughout your life when you will have to deal with people that are dreadful bores and situations that you may not like, but need to learn how to deal with. I hate my medical staff meetings with the Medical Board at St. Mungos, but I go to them regardless. Most of those old Healers still think the practices of fifty years before are the only way to practice and they refuse to listen to anything new, even when it's proven to work better. They irritate the hell out of me. I could choose not to attend, but if I did that, my ideas and theories would go unheard and unnoticed, and that would be a disaster, because then the medical practice would stagnate. Running away to play at Hogsmeade didn't help you at all, now did it? Was it worth this punishment you earned?"

Harry shook his head. "Are you . . . going to tell Mum?"

"Yes. I won't hide this from her, and she deserves to know. Lexy is also quite furious with you," Severus informed her. "Actually, she said she was going to kill you and Draco."

Draco winced. "We've ruined the team's chances at the cup, haven't we?"

"Pretty much," Harry said miserably. They had a Reserve Seeker, but Gloria Malverne wasn't as quick as he was, or had as much practice.

"Maybe next time you are tempted to skip class, you will think twice?" said Professor Markham.

"Yes, ma'am." Both boys said.

Harry decided quickly he was going to try and avoid his sister for the next few days, give her a chance to cool off. Otherwise he might end up dodging hexes or wearing an ass's ears and a tail.

"Harry, go to your room and get your Nimbus. Quickly. I left your sister waiting for me in the Entrance Hall. I am going to take her to lunch and to shop at Hogsmeade."

Harry did as he was told without arguing for once, though a part of him was sniveling that it was unfair. If only he had known Severus was coming, he never would have skipped class. But it was too late now.

Severus waited five minutes before scowling and rising. "What is taking that boy so long? If he thinks delaying is going to change my mind . . ." He stalked out of the office, ready to tear strips off his son.

He entered the second-year dormitory, looking profoundly irritated. "Harry, you're not going to change my mind, now give me the broom. Or else I'll give you another week's grounding for your cheek and defiance."

"Dad . . ." Harry's voice came from his bed. "I really don't feel good."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "What's this, a sympathy ploy?"

"No . . . I'm not faking . . . I feel like I'm gonna barf . . ."

"Harry, it won't work, now stop it!" Severus snapped. He stalked over to the bed and yanked aside the bed hangings to see his son, pale and shivering, clutching his stomach.

Before Severus could say anything more, Harry threw up all over.

Severus stepped away quickly, and so missed getting the brunt of it.

Harry gagged and half-sobbed, "I told you I was sick! My stomach started hurting all of a sudden when I got back here and I just wanted to lay down for a bit." He stared at his bed and tears stood in his eyes. This had to be the worst day ever, and it had started out so well.

"All right. Calm down, son." Severus soothed, cleaning up the mess with his wand. "This isn't the first time you've projectile vomited on me." He reached into his pocket, where he kept his emergency potions kit, and enlarged it and set it on the nightstand next to Harry's bed. "How many sweets did you eat, hmm?"

"I don't know. A lot. I can't remember," Harry admitted, groaning.

Severus shook his head. "Harry, what am I going to do with you?"

"Help me. Or do you think I deserve to suffer?"

Severus frowned at him. "I'll let that remark go, because you're sick, but you're out of line, mister. When have I ever refused treatment when someone is ill? Especially a member of my family? I would never use an illness or an accident to teach you a lesson. I'm a Healer, not a sadist!" Severus said, sounding hurt. He pulled the corks from two vials. "Drink these. A Stomach Soother and a Calming Draught." He handed Harry the potions, then Summoned a glass of water and a wet cloth as well.

After his son had taken the potions, Severus told him, "Lie down and rest." He gently wiped Harry's face with the cool cloth and flicked his wand to Transfigure Harry's clothes into cool pajamas. "You should be fine with some rest." He ran his wand over the boy in a diagnostic spell. "As I thought. A bad case of indigestion from eating too many sweets. Next time don't stuff yourself like a pig." He laid the cool cloth over Harry's forehead. He gave Harry the ice water to sip, then tucked the covers over him. "Go to sleep, son. Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

Harry managed a smile at the familiar saying, it was one Lily had used, or so his father told him. "I'll try." He wished he had waited instead of taking matters into his own hands. Then he wouldn't be sick or about to be strung up by his teammates, and he could have gone to Hogsmeade with Lexy and Severus to celebrate their victory. But he knew he had no one to blame save himself. He reached out a hand and grasped his father's long one. "Tell Lexy I'm sorry I ruined our shot at the championship. My broom's over there in the corner. And your stationary's on my desk." He hated giving up the Nimbus, but he knew that was Severus' standard punishment during a grounding, the removing of any and all privileges and pleasures. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Always, scamp," Severus murmured, then bent and ruffled his son's hair. "Behave, before you give me a coronary, Harry. I'll come back and check on you after lunch." He shrank Harry's Nimbus 2001 and his sheaf of stationary and tucked them into his pockets, then did the same with his potions kit.

He glanced back once before leaving, saying softly, "Pleasant dreams." Then he went back through the portrait hole where Lexy waited for him to escort her to Hogsmeade.

When he told her that Harry was sick, she looked skeptical. "For real this time?"

"Yes. He has a bad case of indigestion and nausea from eating too many sweets."

"Oh. That's just . . . ugh!" Lexy always felt sorry when people were sick. "He sort of deserves it but . . .I feel kind of bad for him."

"Oh? Then you don't want to kill him?"

"No, I still do. But it can wait till he's better." Lexy said with an impish smirk. "If I killed him now, it'd be merciful. On second thought, killing's too good for him, I'll just let him live a long life with his stupidity."

"A true Slytherin's revenge," Severus snorted.

Lexy nodded. "Come on, Dad. Let's get a move on, I'm starving."

Severus rolled his eyes, then followed his daughter out of the castle.

When Severus brought Lexy back to school, their trip to Hogsmeade had been a wonderful success, with Severus getting to spend some quality father-daughter time with his eldest girl, as well as buying her a few sweets and a new journal with peacock quill, he found Narcissa in the Entrance Hall. The ex-wife of Lucius Malfoy looked quite anxious and had been pacing up and down.

"Severus, thank Merlin I caught you before you left," she said upon seeing the Master Healer. "Draco is very ill. I came down here to lecture and punish him for skipping class and as I was in the middle of scolding him he . . . started vomiting and broke out in hives! It must have been something he ate, please can you examine him?"

"Certainly. Where is he, in the Hospital Wing?"

"Yes, but Poppy is out and I was hoping you would come back to the castle so you could take a look at him." Narcissa fretted.

"Harry also became sick to his stomach from eating too many sweets," Severus informed her. "But this sounds more like an allergic reaction. I'll know more when I examine him."

"Poor Draco. Will he be okay, Dad?" asked Lexy, her anger at her friend subsiding.

"I'm sure it's not too serious, Lexy. But I'm going to need privacy to examine him, so why don't you go and amuse yourself for awhile?"

"Okay, but don't forget to tell me how he is," his daughter said. While she was concerned over Draco, she also knew he was in good hands, since her dad was the best Healer anywhere.

"I will, now get!" Severus ordered, sending her off with a gentle tap on the bottom. He turned to Narcissa as they walked up to the Hospital Wing. "Did he complain of any other symptoms? Dizziness, shortness of breath?"

"No. He did look sort of pale, but . . . I thought it was because he was anxious over my punishment. I put him on restriction till the end of the term and I was even going to spank him, I was so mortified, but now . . . Could he be allergic to chocolate, Severus?"

"Possibly, though it could also have been something in the chocolate," Severus said.

He found Draco lying in one of the infirmary beds, his face and arms covered in large red spots. His eyes were puffy as well, though he could still see out of them. The boy looked miserable, but brightened a little when he saw Narcissa and Severus. "Mum, you found him! Healer Sev, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It looks like you have an allergy, Draco. As well as a bad case of indigestion. Have you vomited since the first time?" Severus queried gently, drawing his wand. He cast a standard diagnostic, which revealed indigestion and hives. He quickly enlarged his potions kit and gave the boy a Stomach Soother.

"No. But I'm really itchy and hot and my eyes feel strange."

"You have a bit of swelling about your eyes, probably from the allergy." Severus told him. Then he cast another spell, one that specifically tested for allergies, and discovered that Draco was allergic to whatever the Nauseating Nougat had been made from, not the chocolate he'd eaten at Honeydukes. The reaction to it had been delayed because Draco had eaten chocolate after taking it.

Draco groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that stuff."

"Why did you?" asked Narcissa.

Draco looked ashamed. "Cause I was stupid and wanted to cut History of Magic."

Narcissa sighed. "Severus, how will you treat this?"

"An injection of Anti-Allergen Elixir to take down the swelling and redness and some salve to quiet the itching," answered the Healer, removing a syringe from his kit and various other items. He drew the curtains around the bed, giving them a measure of privacy, and set a ward also.

He cast a disinfecting charm on his hands and pulled on a set of sterile gloves.

Draco's eyes widened as he saw the syringe in Severus' hands. "You're going to give me a shot? Why?"

"Because the Anti-Allergen potion works best this way. It will bring down the swelling and hives much quicker." Severus explained.

"Aww . . . I hate needles!"

"Most people do. Turn over, Draco. This needs to go in your bottom."

The boy gulped, but obeyed, muttering, "I'd rather get spanked."

Severus used a wandless charm to take Draco's pants down, then gently swabbed the area, the boy already had hives forming. "Relax, child. It only stings for a minute," he soothed, for Draco was tensing up. He gently inserted the needle.

"Ow!" Draco yelped. "That hurt!"

"Done." Severus banished the syringe, then said. "Lie still. I'm going to put the salve on now. That way the itching won't drive you mad." He took the jar of salve and began to calmly rub it all over the Chaser's bottom, thighs, and back.

Draco sighed in relief, for the cream was cool and soothing, banishing the terrible itching and heat. Once he was done, he quickly pulled his pajama bottoms on.

Severus had him sit up and remove his shirt so he could apply the salve to the boy's chest and shoulders, face, and arms. "Are you starting to feel a little better?"

"Yeah," Draco said. He looked at the curtain. "Healer Sev, are you still mad at Harry?"

"Not very much any longer. What you both did was very foolish, but no father stays angry at his son forever. Especially not when he's sick from his own folly." Severus replied.

"Harry's sick too? Like me?"

"No, he merely has indigestion," Severus answered. "Are you worried that your mother won't forgive you?"

"Well, she was mad as blazes at me, sir. I was sure she was going to wallop me with the slipper until I sicked up all over her shoes. I guess this is what I get for trying to get out of class. She was really upset, she probably thinks I'm going to end up like my father." Draco said, hanging his head. Draco had never known Lucius, but he knew his reputation and that he had nearly killed Severus.

Severus gently lifted the boy's chin. "Lucius Malfoy did a lot worse than cut class and sneak out to Hogsmeade during school. I know, for I was in school with him for a time. You might be your father's son, Draco, but you are not your father. You are not destined to become a dark wizard, child. You can make your own choices and learn from your mistakes. Your mother loves you, Draco, and she knows that you're a better person than Lucius."

"Does she? Even when I do stupid things like this?" Draco asked, sniffling.

Severus handed him a handkerchief. "Even then. All of us make mistakes, Draco. The trick is to learn from them. We were all young and foolish once. Here, put your shirt on."

Draco pulled on his shirt and lay back down. He felt a lot better now after his little talk. Sometimes not having a father sucked. But at least Healer Snape was considerate enough to answer his questions. "Will I have to take any more potions or get more needles?"

"No. You can avoid this allergic reaction by not eating anymore of that nougat."

"I will, believe me," Draco promised.

Severus cancelled the ward and drew back the curtains. "Narcissa, he should be fine in a few hours. Let him stay in bed, rest, and drink plenty of liquids. Sometimes the Anti-Allergin can make you drowsy, so he might sleep."

Narcissa looked very relieved. "Thank Merlin! I nearly had heart failure." She walked over and ran her hand down Draco's hair. By now the illusion charm had worn off and he was blond again. "Don't ever scare me again like that, Draco!"

"Sorry, Mother."

"I forgive you," she said, then kissed him on the cheek.

"Aww, Mother!" the boy groaned. "Not in front of Healer Sev!"

"I didn't see anything," Severus said, knowing how touchy a boy's pride was at that age. "I need to be getting back to the office. Perhaps I'll see you at the last Quidditch match?"

"Severus, what do I owe you?" called Narcissa.

"Nothing. I don't charge for sudden emergencies," the Healer answered. Then he left the infirmary, leaving mother and son alone to finish their discussion.

Severus went back to the dungeons to check on Harry, finding the boy asleep still. Severus opted not to wake him, but instead wrote him a note—on his stationary—and said he would be coming down again for the last Quidditch match.

Let's hope you can stay out of trouble till then, Harry. Remember, school before sports.

I love you, scamp.

Dad

Then he left, though not before giving his son a farewell hug, which Harry couldn't protest.

Lexy was in her room, writing in her new journal, when a knock came on the door. "Come in," she called.

Severus opened the door and entered. "I wanted to stop by and tell you that Draco should be recovered by the next morning. All he needed was a shot of Anti-Allergin and some salve to make the hives stop itching. He's going to be fine."

Lexy heaved a sigh of relief. "I was afraid he might have to go to St. Mungos."

"No, his reaction wasn't that serious." Severus reassured her. "I have to be going, I have a whole caseload of patients to see tonight."

"Okay, and thanks, Dad. I had a great time." She slid off her bed and hugged him hard. "Give Mom and Eileen a hug and a kiss from me." Though she had lived in the UK for five years now, she still bore her American accent, among other things.

"I will," Severus kissed her cheek.

"I'll miss you." She snuggled into his robes for a moment. Though Severus was not her biological father, she loved him as if he were. He had adopted her and she considered him her real one, and she adored and respected him the way she never had Dan Chase.

"You'll see me soon, Lexy. Keep your brother in line for me."

"I will. I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, kitten." Then Severus released her and left the castle.

In the weeks that led up to the Quidditch match, both Harry and Draco were in the doghouse with their Housemates. The members of the Quidditch team were so angry that none of them would speak to Harry or Draco for a week, though they learned later that Flint had practically begged Markham to let them play in the last game. When she refused, he went and yelled at Draco and Harry, saying they ought to have their heads banged together for being such idiots.

Feeling bad for letting down their team and their House, Draco and Harry worked extra hard at their studies to try and make up for the points they had lost. Fred and George apologized to Draco for getting him sick, and decided not to sell anymore Nauseating Nougats just in case.

The whole Slytherin Quidditch team practiced extra hours, trying to get ready for the big game. Harry went out to the pitch and gave tips to the Reserve Seeker. Gloria was very nervous, but determined not to let her House down.

"I'm going to try my best, but I still wish you were playing tomorrow instead of me, Harry," she told him. She was small with straight brown hair and blue eyes.

"Me too, but it's my own fault I'm suspended," Harry sighed.

"Was your dad really mad?" she asked curiously. "Did he . . . uh . . .beat you or something?"

"No, of course not! My dad doesn't beat his kids, even if they deserve it," Harry told her. "But he did ground me and take away my broom and I can't play Quidditch. That's worse."

"It is," she agreed. "But at least you can watch the game."

Harry nodded. It was something anyway. "You'll do fine, Glory. Just don't take your eyes off the Snitch."

The day of the championship dawned bright and sunny.

Harry and Draco sat in the stands and waited for the game to begin. Some of their House was still angry with them and made faces at them or rude comments. One loud and obnoxious third year kept shouting, "Potter, you naughty boy, I'll bet your daddy took you over his knee for disgracing him!"

Harry was getting annoyed and turned around to tell the kid to shut up when a deep voice growled, "Enough! Before I tell your father to take you over his knee for being an obnoxious rude brat, Cole Simmons."

The boy immediately shut up as Healer Snape made his way down to sit with Harry and Draco.

"Dad, you made it!" Harry said, turning and hugging him briefly.

"I said I would. Now, let's hope for a Slytherin victory."

The Slytherins all cheered when their players came out on the pitch. Lexy waved at them as she swept by, and Harry yelled, "Knock 'em off their brooms, Lex!"

Lexy grinned and blew Draco a kiss.

Draco blushed red.

"Looks like she's got the hots for you, Malfoy," Harry whispered, finding his sister's attraction to Draco amusing.

"Shut up, Potter!"

"Quit squabbling, boys, and watch the game," Severus ordered.

The match was swift and furious. The Gryffindor team played very well, but Lexy and Jasper were like dervishes, here, there, and everywhere. Their Reserve Chaser, Jenny Malone, Jasper's sister, played the best game of her life, catching the Quaffle and scoring six times. Lexy made goal after goal, assisted by Jasper.

Growing tired of her success, one of the Grffindor Chasers tried to slam her, but she avoided the check by a miracle. But the near collision threw the Slytherin Chasers off and they missed the Quaffle and Gryffindor scored.

Harry was on his feet, yelling, "Foul! Call a penalty, Hooch!" He shook his fist at the Gryffindor Chaser. "You dirty rotten piece of crap! I oughta kick your ass!"

"Harry!" Severus grabbed his son by the back of his robes and pulled him down. "Calm down. She's all right."

"She could have gotten hurt, Dad!"

"I know, and if anything had happened to her, I would have kicked his ass," Severus answered.

The score was tied once more, fifty-fifty. It was now up to the Seekers to break the tie, or the Chasers.

Harry watched Glory carefully as she swooped and dove and prayed she would spot the Snitch before the Gryffindors did. Suddenly, Harry caught sight of the wiged globe just shy of the goal hoops. "Glory," he screamed. "Bogey at two o'clock! Break right!" He had learned that lingo from watching old WWII movies with his grandpa Tobias. And he had taught it to Gloria.

"Say what?" Draco looked bewildered.

But Severus and the small Seeker understood.

Gloria spun her broom and dove on an angle, streaking down like a sky rocket, towards the hovering globe beside the goal post. Before the Snitch could take flight, her outstretched hand grasped it and held it tight.

"Bullseye!" she screamed. "Slytherin wins!" She waved the Snitch above her head as the crowd went wild. Then she turned and blew a kiss at Harry.

"Looks like she's got the hots for you, Potter," Draco teased.

"Stuff it Malfoy!" Then he pounded his friend on the back. "We did it! Slytherin rules!" It was Slytherin's second Quiddtch Cup win in a row.

Everyone was cheering and clapping and Professor Markham looked like she was about to cry, she was so happy. No one had known what to expect with two of their best benched. But they had somehow all pulled together and managed to win spectacularly. It would long be remembered, the year they were "led by Glory" to victory.

When Harry went to congratulate Gloria on her win, she just said modestly, "I would have missed it, if not for you, Harry."

"I just helped a little. You did the catching." Then he marched around waving a Slytherin pennant, grinning from ear to ear. He was happy his House had won, but he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous that he wasn't the one who had brought Slytherin home to win. Then he reminded himself that what counted was Slytherin's winning, and he shouldn't hog the limelight.

He found Lexy and hugged her. "Congratulations, Lex. You were awesome!"

"I'm so happy! I can't believe we won!" she said, hugging him back. "I really didn't think we would. Not without you and Draco."

"You won because you played your best," Draco said, also hugging her.

"And Quidditch is a team sport, Alexis," Severus said, coming up to congratulate her as well. "Right, Harry?"

"Right, Dad," Harry agreed. He was proud of Lexy, and this time he was sure Severus would treat him and Lexy to dinner at Hogsmeade, with no sneaking around necessary.

And so ended the Great Hogsmeade Caper.