The Weasleys immediately moved to draw their wands on the strangers, which in turn prompted his father to whip out his own wand from his sleeve pocket. But before any spells could be uttered, Hermione threw herself between the two families.

"STOP!" she cried, glancing over her shoulder with an extremely confused look on her face. Her wide eyes settled first on Snape – on whom they lingered for a long moment – before they flicked over to examine Harry. "That's Brad Pitt and the kid from 'Free Willy'…" she explained to the Weasleys, sounding baffled and somewhat mystified before she shook her head and continued, "They're American and they're… uh… famous in the muggle world."

"What in the bloody hell is 'Free Willy'?" George snorted.

"Must be some kind of naughty movie. Those Yanks are complete nutters…" Fred sniggered.

"Wait a minute!" George cried. "Hermione, how do YOU know about naughty–?"

"Are you having a laugh?"Harry suddenly yelled with incredulity. "You were having a conversation with me not even two hours ago!"

"When did we meet an American porn star? I should remember something like that!" George whispered loudly.

"Tuh, shut up, you loon,"Fred scoffed. He hesitantly called out, "Harry, is that you?"

"Obviously, you toss pot!" Harry replied, although he was unable to completely suppress a snigger of amusement. Ginny, who was standing directly behind the twins, rolled her eyes and promptly reached out to slap them both upside the head.

"Ouch,"said George as he rubbed the back of his skull. But then: "You're right, Sis. We completely threw a spanner in the works– Ouch! What the–?!"

This time it was Mrs. Weasley that had slapped them as she cried, "Language!"

"Ok, ok! Sorry!" Fred yelled as the twins scuttled out reach of both Ginny and their mother.

Hermione turned to Harry and his family in shock. "But Harry, what are you doing impersonating movie stars? No George, they are not porn stars!" She sternly said to the twins, who were whispering amongst themselves behind her.

"We didn't know these covers were that well known!" He cried. "It's not like Severus and I get out to the muggle theatre much!"

Ron was laughing hysterically now. "How–how did you even know–who to make–yourselves look like?" He gasped through tears of mirth.

"Um… It's a long story," Harry muttered, glancing sideways at Lily and Jillian.

"If it's alright with all of you," snapped Snape with an exasperated huff and a glare at Lily, "I believe it's time to cease and desist with this stupidity." And with that he performed the counter charm to both his and Harry's Glamours.

But as the charms melted away and their regular appearances materialized, one of the twins said, "You should leave it, Professor. It makes you look… approachable."

"Positively friendly, I'd say."

"Or just downright sexy…" Ginny muttered behind her brothers, and by her face Harry couldn't tell if she was pleased or disgruntled by the thought. The entire assembly burst out laughing, and Harry's father looked murderously around at the lot of them.

Mrs. Weasley was the first to come to her senses. "Alright, alright…" she said to her family, "That's enough now." And then she looked to Lily and Jillian with a friendly smile on her face and warmly asked, "Who are these two beautiful ladies?"

Before they could form an appropriate reply, Jilly ran to Mrs. Weasley and announced, "Hi, my name is Jilly-Bean and me and my mum are part of the Weasley family!"

The entire crowd suddenly went very silent and still. Lily gave a small inhalation and muttered, "Oh my God… These are the Weasleys, aren't they?" Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and nodded.

The families continued to silently stare at one another in shock when suddenly Lily reached out and grasped first Harry's hand, and then his father's. Squaring her shoulders she dragged them both over to Mrs. Weasley. At the expression on his father's face, Harry almost burst out laughing again – the poor man looked as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to proudly declare his love for the woman, or hex her because of the humiliation she was causing.

Coming to a halt directly behind her smiling daughter, Lily held out her hand to Mrs. Weasley and unabashedly announced, "Hi. I'm Lily Prewett. My father was Phillip Prewett, and I think he was your cousin."

Mrs. Weasley gaped at her in shock for a moment, but then an enormous smile alighted her features. She squealed in excitement, "Holy Merlin's beard! OH MY GOD!" And ignoring Lily's outstretched hand, she threw her arms around the younger woman in a tight hug. Refusing to let go of her newfound family member, Mrs. Weasley reached an arm out for Jillian, and the little girl joined them in the embrace.

The older women were both crying and laughing through their tears, and Harry's smile broadened to the point that his cheeks hurt. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to suddenly have a family after being alone for so long, and he couldn't have been happier for all involved.

Finally pulling back and dabbing at her eyes, Mrs. Weasley held Lily at arm's length and warmly examined her. "There's no question you are Phillip's daughter. You're a perfect blend of him and Marjorie – she was gorgeous just like you. I was at their wedding, you know. But I was only a third year, still attending Hogwarts then… I never knew they had a daughter! Phillip was a squib – he couldn't perform magic – and he got a job in the muggle world and moved away, I wasn't sure where, and after mother died I didn't know how to reach him. We lost touch and I didn't even know of his and Marjorie's deaths until a few years ago, I'm so sorry for your loss and for leaving you alone!" Mr. Weasley squeezed his wife gently by the shoulder, and she glanced at him before saying, "I'm rambling..." She took a deep breath and continued in a quiet voice, "I just… I never knew you existed."

Lily gave her a watery smile. "I never really knew you existed, either. Well… I'd seen your name on paper, but…" She gazed lovingly over at Snape. "If it wasn't for Severus, I never would have known about any of this. About any of you."

"Oh, Severus…" Mrs. Weasley murmured as her gaze moved to his father, her eyes filling with tears again. Suddenly she launched herself onto him, clinging to his neck as she wailed, "Thank you, Severus!"

Alarmed and looking as if he was afraid the terrifying potions master might eat his wife, Mr. Weasley tried to pry her off. But the more he tried to pull Mrs. Weasley away, the harder she clung to Snape's neck.

Harry had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing. He wasn't sure who looked more horrified by the sudden turn of events – Mr. Weasley or his father.

Snape reached up and awkwardly patted Mrs. Weasley on the back. She seemed to calm down and moments later, finally released him. It didn't escape Harry's notice how Snape immediately scuttled backwards, using Lily as a human shield as he placed her between himself and the Weasley matriarch. Snape glanced over at Harry and when their eyes met, Harry mouthed the word, 'Coward.' Snape vigorously nodded, not even bothering to deny the accusation, and Harry had to cover a snort of amusement with a bogus sneeze.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Weasley said tearfully. "It's just that after everything that happened yesterday…"

"You don't have to explain," Lily spoke kindly, talking over Snape and what would surely have been a snarky comment. "We were going to tell you at dinner instead of just springing it on you like this. I'm so sorry, it must be quite a shock."

"Are you kidding?" Ginny cried. "We have more girls in the family now! It's better than Christmas!" Her clear excitement broke the ice, and as the family laughed while crowding around them, Mrs. Weasley introduced everyone in turn. Harry was thrilled to see that every single one of them hugged Jillian and Lily as they were introduced, all seeming to open their hearts without question – just as Harry had known they would.

"You did good, Dad," Harry muttered. His father was watching the procession without a smile, but the warmth in his eyes was there all the same. He just grunted at Harry's approving words, but Harry could tell that he was pleased.

The sun was beginning to set in a brilliantly vibrant sky after all the introductions were made. Mrs. Weasley called out to the lot of them, "Let's all go up to dinner." She then took Lily's arm and tucked it in the crook of her own, still questioning her younger cousin about her life. The women talked and laughed easily together.

Harry and Snape took their place behind the family as the group opened the gates and began walking up the hill. But they had taken barely two steps before Lily glanced over her shoulder and, smiling, reached out to Snape with her other hand. His father hesitated for half a heartbeat, but allowed Lily to entwine their fingers together as he joined her. Lily then continued talking with Mrs. Weasley as if nothing had happened.

Ron and Hermione immediately took his father's place beside Harry, one on either side.

"Oh Harry, this is wonderful!" Hermione murmured excitedly. "How in the world did Professor Snape find her? For her name to be Lily of all things, especially right after you had come to stay…"

Ron glanced at Snape and Lily holding hands, "And… is he… dating her?"

"Yeah, he is. I think he's more shocked about it than anyone else. But they're really good together – she keeps him in line," Harry said with a smile. "And I guess it was technically me that found her," he explained. "Man, there's so much I haven't told you guys…" And he proceeded to explain everything – the fight with the Dursleys and how Snape had come to his rescue (although he left out the part about Dudley); staying at Spinner's End and accidentally injuring Snape's rib; saving Jillian and meeting Lily while wandering aimlessly around town ("Oh Harry, you're so lucky! You could have been found by Death Eaters!" Hermione had gasped); how Lily had helped his father and how the meeting had prompted Snape to admit that he'd been friends with Harry's mother (both of his friends had gasped in shock at this pronouncement); and finally, the reason he had been so depressed and angry while staying with the Weasleys.

"I'm really sorry, Ron…" Harry said with as much sincerity as he could muster. "After everything that happened, I felt like… like I had lost a family all over again. I was just… so..."

"Don't worry about it, mate. I understand."

Hermione smiled, obviously pleased for what he and Snape had unexpectedly found together. "Professor Snape seems just as happy as you about all this. Do you think he'll stop being a spy and–?"

But her question was cut off by Lily's gasp and Jillian's cry of, "Wow!" The castle had just come into view, the stone glowing in the vivid orange and pinks of the setting sun. The lake was still and glassy so that it reflected the surrounding mountains and setting sun just like a mirror, making it look as if Heaven and Earth had collided in one magnificent, picturesque Scottish loch.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" They heard from the giant front doors of the castle, and a grin broke out across Harry's face as Dumbledore ambled down the steps towards them.

"Mum, is that Merlin from my stories?" Jilly gasped, and everyone but Snape laughed.

"Don't encourage him," Snape grumbled. "He already thinks too highly of himself."

"Thank you, Severus. I was beginning to wonder why I had such a difficult time fitting my head through my office door this morning," Dumbledore said with an amused smile as he approached the group. He turned to Mrs. Weasley saying, "Molly, my dear… I'm so thankful to see you on your feet and looking none the worse for wear. You had us all very worried."

"Thank you, Albus. That… woman… won't ever come between me and my children again," Mrs. Weasley replied in a very Snape-like growl, and goosebumps broke out on Harry's flesh. There was something in her tone that made Harry very glad that he was a friend of the Weasleys instead of a foe. As terrifying as Bellatrix could be, he had a feeling that it was nothing compared to a protective and very pissed off Mrs. Weasley.

Dumbledore smiled, but instead of the warmth of moments ago, the look was rather chilling. "Indeed, Molly. It is a very foolish individual that would cross a mother bear protecting her cubs. Although I cannot promise it will not happen again, I can tell you that next time, we shall be ready." The goosebumps on Harry's skin were joined by a prickling of the back of his neck, and once again Harry was thankful that he would never be on the receiving end of the combined wrath of Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley.

The headmaster's face cleared and the warmth returned as a smile spread across his lips. He gazed down at Jilly before bending to her level and saying, "Well hello there! You must be the one who thought I was Merlin. I assure you, my dear – I'm much better looking than he ever was. My nose is far more crooked, see?" And he turned his head to the side in order to show off its brilliantly bent length.

Jilly giggled as she reached out and ran her tiny fingers over the prominent bump in the middle. "You have a really pretty nose," she murmured with a smile. "Will I get a bump like yours someday?"

"Only if you're lucky," the headmaster replied with a wink. Then as if he just remembered, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, brightly colored foil package from his pocket. "I have a taste for muggle candy, and I just discovered a wonderful little treat not long ago. Would you like a Ring Pop, Jilly?"

"My favorite! Thank you!" The little girl cried. She took the sweet gratefully then asked with a coy smile, "And how did you know my name?"

"Magic," Dumbledore murmured, and he winked at her. Straightening up, the headmaster smiled at her mother before taking her hand in his own and saying, "Hello Lily. It is such a pleasure to meet the woman that has unlocked the affection of our austere potions master." Snape made a sputtering, choking sound and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily for a few moments. But he sobered as he continued, "It hurts my heart that you were not brought to Hogwarts as a child. But I hope that you feel as comfortable here as if you had been. Welcome, my dear."

"Thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore–"

"Oh no, please call me Albus. One of the perks of never attending Hogwarts is that you don't have to worry about calling me 'Professor'," he said with a conspiratorial wink. "Now… judging by both Molly and Severus' determined grasps, it seems as if your attention has been thoroughly claimed. So if you don't mind," he hefted Jillian into his arms, and the girl squealed in delight, "I'll be escorting this young lady to the castle. And I want that entire Ring Pop to be gone before dinner, alright?" Jilly nodded happily as she opened the foil package and placed the sucker on her finger.

"Beautiful," Dumbledore complimented as she held it out in front of her.

As the group crossed the threshold into the Entrance Hall, Lily and Jillian made the same awed sound, both looking around with wide eyes and open mouths. "Don't worry, my dears. The best is yet to come," Dumbledore said with a knowing smile, and with a wave of his wand the doors to the Great Hall opened magnificently before them.

Every smiling face immediately flicked to the newcomers to watch their reaction, and they were not disappointed.

"Wow!" The girls cried in unison, their eyes glued to the thousands of candles floating lazily in the air, which only added to the warm glow that came from beyond. The enchanted ceiling showed streaks of red and purple against the darkening sky, the wispy clouds alight like bonfires in the heavens.

"You get this to look forward to for every meal?" Lily murmured with a gasp. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I'd… I'd never leave!"

"But what about when it rains?" Jilly asked, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful sunset to look curiously at Dumbledore, who still held her in his arms. "Don't you get wet?"

"The ceiling is still there," Hermione piped up. "But it's bewitched to look like the sky outside and mirror the weather, without any of the negative effects."

"She read about it in Hogwarts: A History," Ron snickered.

Hermione ignored him and with a smile, continued addressing the curious young girl. "So… When the weather is bad, even if there's a raging blizzard outside, we're all still toasty warm in here."

"That is so. cool." Lily said, and she finally looked away from the ceiling to smile at Hermione. "Are you a teacher here, too?"

Snape made an impatient noise, but everyone else laughed.

"This is Hermione Granger," Harry introduced her with an extremely amused glance at his disgruntled father. "She's the muggle-born I was telling you about – the smartest one in the entire school."

"Did you really say that, Harry?" Hermione asked, blushing.

"Oh, shut up," the twins said in unison, both sporting equally affectionate grins.

"Thank you," his father grumbled.

The group made their way past the four house tables up to the staff table on the raised dais. Having only ever seen the Great Hall from this angle when he had been both shocked and extremely apprehensive when the TriWizard Cup had spit his name out, Harry was actually quite excited to be sitting here. Judging by the looks on his classmate's faces, it seemed as if the feeling was mutual for them, as well.

Instead of running the width of the hall with chairs only on one side, the table had been shrunken and widened so that everyone could see one another as they sat all the way around. Empty golden plates and glittering goblets adorned each place setting, and many large platters twinkled in the candlelight as they graced the middle of the table.

The headmaster's large, throne-like chair was at the table's head, and he invited Jillian and Lily to sit next to him. Jilly made herself comfortable next to the old wizard, and Lily gladly took the spot next to her daughter. Snape took the seat beside Lily, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat on Dumbledore's other side. Snape glared peevishly at the twins as they took their places directly across from him. Fred and George seemed to be grinning somewhat wickedly at their old potions professor, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny and sat down next to the twins, not wanting to miss the show they had a feeling was coming.

"We're just waiting for a few more–" Dumbledore said, but was interrupted when Remus, Tonks, Professor McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Hagrid walked through the doors to the Great Hall, talking and laughing amongst themselves.

"Molly, so good to see you're feeling better!" Kingsley called in his deep, booming voice as they approached the table. The rest echoed his sentiments.

As Remus stepped onto the dais, he moved to Molly's side and bent to kiss her cheek from behind. "Welcome back, old girl," he muttered with a smile. Mrs. Wealsey playfully smacked his hand with a laugh, and Remus moved to take the seat in between Ginny and Tonks. McGonagall sat on Snape's other side, and once again his father looked somewhat irritated with the seating arrangements.

Lily and Jillian were staring wide-eyed at Hagrid, who looked like a bear standing on two legs with his moleskin overcoat and wiry hair. But Tonks waved warmly down the table at them, catching their attention, and promptly asked, "Who's this, then?"

"Everyone, meet Lily and Jillian… The newest in the Weasley clan," Mrs. Weasley introduced with a pleased smile. "Lily and Jillian, meet Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Rubeus Hagrid." She pointed to everyone in turn, and they all greeted the newcomers with a smile and a wave.

"More Weasleys?" Kingsley teased. "How did that happen?" McGonagall leaned over and with a smile, murmured something to the others that Harry couldn't hear.

"I hate the name Nymphadora," Tonks quickly explained to Lily and Jillian, "You can call me Tonks."

"You can call me Jilly-Bean! I like that name better than Jillian," the little girl called back at her from down the table, and with a laugh Tonks winked and said that she would.

Dumbledore took hold of both Mrs. Weasley and Jillian's hands and held them aloft, and the chatter around the table instantly quieted. "There are moments in the long, dark nights when we feel afraid of what we cannot see lurking in the shadows. Yesterday was one such fearful occurrence... However, as everyone here has proven time and time again, the one thing that we can be sure of is that darkness cannot stand in the presence of the light – the day will always dawn once more, no matter how long the night has raged.

"Today we celebrate family both new and old. We remember all that is good and true and strong. Today, we remember why goodness will always win against the evil of this world: because every single one of you are proof that we have something worth fighting for." The headmaster paused and smiled warmly at everyone gathered around the table before him. "Enough of my incessant talking. Let's eat, shall we?"

And with a wave of his hands the platters around them suddenly filled with a delectable and mouth-watering feast. Lily and Jillian gasped yet again, and everyone around the table laughed and smiled at their reactions, knowing that they themselves had been just as shocked and staggered when they had witnessed the spectacular magic of the Great Hall for the first time.

"Lily, it's such a pleasure to finally meet you and your daughter," McGonagall said as she leaned past Snape. "Albus and I helped Severus put all the puzzle pieces together concerning your past. I'm sorry you could not have been with us sooner. But on behalf of everyone, it's so nice to have you with us now."

"Thank you," Lily said with an appreciative smile and a pretty blush. "It's been such an amazing day. We all visited Diagon Alley earlier–"

"Not looking like yourselves, I hope!" McGonagall cried shrilly with a heated glance at Snape. "Only one day after being attacked, Severus–!"

"Calm down before you give yourself a stroke, Minerva," his father said with an irritated sigh and a dramatic roll of his eyes. "I used Glamours on Harry and myself. Believe me, we were not recognized."

"That's because people thought you were muggle porn stars," Fred muttered, and George snorted into his pumpkin juice.

"Excuse me, muggle what?" McGonagall asked in indignant disbelief.

The glower that Snape gave the twins could have withered even the Whomping Willow, but Fred and George looked somewhat proud of themselves.

"We… uh… imitated movie stars, Professor." Harry said. The exasperation on McGonagall's face as her gaze flicked toward him made him hurry to continue, "But in our defense, we didn't know they were that famous." He felt somewhat guilty that the blame was being thrown at his father's feet when Harry knew perfectly well it didn't all belong there. "Severus and I aren't very familiar with the muggle cinema."

McGonagall simply "Humf"-ed in a very Hermione-ish way and peevishly snatched a bun from a golden dish in front of her.

"So what did you think of Diagon Alley?" Mrs. Weasley asked Lily and Jillian as she grasped the nearest platters of roast chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables and started adding heaps of food to all the plates around her, including Jillian's, Lily's, and Snape's. With every scoop of food added to his father's plate, Snape's eyes narrowed and his scowl grew angrier and darker.

"It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Jilly cried. "We saw the store with all the potion ingredients, and the store where they sell Quit-Quittis – tuh! – the store where they sell brooms and things, and the store with all the animals. But the best part was–"

"Enough!" Snape suddenly shouted. Mrs. Weasley had been shoveling scoop after scoop onto his father's plate, until there was literally a small mountain of food heaped in front of him. "I'm a man, not a never ending pit that needs filling. That's enough food to feed an entire village," he snapped.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Severus Snape!" Mrs. Weasley retorted. "If you're going to be escorting my family around in times of war, you need to keep up your strength! And I've seen you eat – you pick at food like you were a bird instead of a full-grown man."

Snape looked too shocked to reply. Harry knew that there were not many people who would give back as good as they got from his crotchety father, and he was rather impressed with Mrs. Weasley. After a moment Snape picked up his fork and grumbled, "I won't be escorting anyone if I'm the size of a whale and have to roll everywhere I go."

This time, it wasn't just the twins that snorted into their cups.

"Now," Mrs. Weasley turned back to Jilly with an apologetic smile, "What was the best part of today, dear?"

Unfazed, Jillian grinned widely as she replied, "The joke shop!" Snape dropped his fork with a clatter and pinched the bridge of his nose. The teenagers all burst out laughing, but Jillian continued, "They have all kinds of funny things!"

"Oh, I'm aware of everything they sell there," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. "Want to know how?" Jilly nodded. "Because my sons, the twins down there – Fred and George – they own that store. They invented almost everything you saw today."

Even Lily was impressed. "Wow, really? You two invented all of that? That's amazing!"

Fred bowed in his seat and George raised his goblet in salute, then aimed a smirk at Snape as he announced, "Cheers, Professor!" Snape only growled at him.

"Don't worry, George," Fred said with a dubious grin. "Professor Snape is just green with envy at our overflowing talent."

With a forkful of food halfway to his mouth, Snape stopped and glared at the two of them. "What talent? You sure fooled me with the lack of effort you put into your schooling." But as he spoke Snape's hair began to turn a very vivid green, from the roots of his hair downward, and his father didn't seem to notice as he scowled at the twins.

Everyone's gaze was wide with shock, but Lily's sudden gasp made Snape turn toward her. Her eyes were glued to his changing hair, and he gently moved his head enough to swing his hair forward, catching sight of the black strands' continuing transformation. Snatching his wand out of his inside sleeve pocket, he murmured a quick, "Finite," and the green immediately disappeared.

He smirked at the twins' disappointed expressions. "It'll take more than that, I'm afraid."

As he spoke, Harry noticed George make a barely discernable movement under the table. In fact, he wouldn't have seen it had he not been sitting so close. His father brought the forkful of food up to his mouth once again, still smirking at the twins, and the expression on his face when he took a bite was comical. His father sputtered and almost spit the food out, but managed to choke it down with an audible swallow.

"You alright, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with concern.

"Fine, Albus," Snape growled, his eyes never leaving the twins. Fred and George were both grinning down at their plates. "My food has just grown a little cold, is all. Finite!" He said again with a bit more force, and a thick torrent of steam suddenly issued from his plate of food.

"So you liked our store, Jilly?" Fred asked with a genuine smile at the young girl.

"Oh yes, very much!" She said excitedly. "I really liked the Whiz-Bang fireworks in the window! And the Pygmy Puffs are so cute!"

Hagrid spoke up from down the table. "I helped breed 'em, y'know. Cute little buggers, even if they don' breathe fire or have three heads or anythin'."

"Pygmy Puff hair and saliva are also very powerful potion ingredients," George mentioned, trying to sound casual and offhand.

"Yeah Professor, perhaps we can send you one. Or five. Heck, maybe we'll even send you an entire litter," Fred continued.

"Do that and you may not be able to walk properly because I will be forced to stick your wands up–"

"Speaking of wands!" Lily hurried to say with a warning glance at Snape, "Severus took us to Ollivander's!"

"Lily accidentally made Mr. Ollivander's hair grow to his knees – even his nose hair," Harry burst out laughing.

"And mum made a bird that pooped on his shoulder," Jilly giggled, but her bright smile waned a bit as she continued, "…and then it exploded." The rest of the table erupted with laughter. Even Snape gave a grudging smile at the memory.

"So you bought a wand?" Remus asked Lily with a warm smile.

She excitedly pulled it from her pocket. "Yes! Dogwood and Unicorn Hair. Mr. Ollivander said it will be good at healing work which is amazing because… well… I'm a nurse in the Emergency Room at the local hospital."

"Really?" Dumbledore said, sounding interested. "Your magic must be very powerful in the healing arts for it to come through even in the muggle world. I do believe that an introduction to Madam Pomfrey is in order," he said to Severus.

"Poppy has mentioned hiring an assistant, Albus," McGonagall said.

The headmaster looked pleased, and his eyes twinkled merrily. "Well Lily, if you ever decide that you'd prefer to work here instead of in the muggle world, please let me know. I have a feeling that Madam Pomfrey would be most pleased to have you."

Lily's cheeks blushed with pleasure and she said sincerely, "Thank you! I will!"

The thought of having Lily here at Hogwarts was an exciting one, and Harry and his friends beamed at each other. Harry then turned and grinned at his family, especially his father. Snape seemed to enjoy the thought of Lily being here as well, for he gave her a warm smile.

"Didn't Mr. Ollivander also say that your wand would be good at charm work?" Harry asked, and Lily nodded.

"Ah, charms," Fred sighed, and the twins were closely eyeing Snape as he reached out and plucked a Cream Puff from one of the dessert trays. "We owe so much of our success to that delightful subject."

Snape finally seemed to feel their gazes, for his eyes flicked to theirs and narrowed suspiciously as he slowly brought the Custard Cream up to his lips and took a bite. The twins seemed to sit up straighter, as if waiting for something to happen. But when nothing did they glanced at each other in confused disappointment as they slumped back into their seats.

George looked to Lily as he, too, plucked a Custard Cream from the dessert tray. "Most of our items use charms in one form or another, even if it's not the main function of the product."

The half-smile that slid onto his father's face as he watched George bring the Custard Cream to his mouth was the only warning of what was about to happen.

As he bit into the puffy little pastry, George suddenly transformed with a loud pop! into a giant canary. Lily and Jillian cried out in shock. The canary's beady little eyes – which in this case were the size of golf balls – turned toward his twin, who looked equally as shocked as the others as the table erupted with laughter. The canary gave a loud squawk, then flapped his wings and began to tweet and titter loudly at his brother. The movements caused a small eruption of feathers to explode and float through the air around him, which only made everyone laugh all the harder.

"I didn't make a mistake!" Fred cried indignantly at the giant yellow canary. "The professor knew what we were doing, bird brain!"

At that moment George began to molt, and as the feathers fell from his body he sat there with his twin, both looking accusingly at Harry's father.

Snape shrugged as he took another bite of his perfectly ordinary Custard Cream, smirking arrogantly across at the twins as he purposefully took his time chewing and swallowing. "You may be little idiots, but you're bold little idiots. You've got nerve… I'll give you that. Cheeky little prats." The twins sat there fuming as the laughter continued around them. The smirk on Snape's face lingered as he took another bite of his Custard Cream. After a moment, Fred and George calmed and chuckled as they looked at their old potions professor with new appreciation.

"You-Know-Who better not try to turn you into a canary," George muttered.

"It may just be the last thing he ever does," continued Fred.

The table burst with laughter again, and the chatter began in earnest. Harry couldn't help but sit back and revel in the feeling of being surrounded by the people he loved. Dumbledore was right. This – this wonderfully contented moment among friends and family – was what they were fighting for. Snape caught his eye and, judging by the genuine smile that came to his lips, Harry couldn't help but think that his father was feeling the exact same way. They smiled knowingly at each other.

Suddenly a single tawny owl swooped through the tall archways near the ceiling, flying directly toward the head table. Flying low, it dropped a rolled up newspaper in Hermione's lap and swiftly flew back from where it had come.

"What…?" Hermione asked as she unrolled a late edition of the Evening Prophet, and the table suddenly went quiet.

"What's happened, Hermione?" Tonks called as Hermione's face disappeared behind the paper as she held it up to read.

After a moment she murmured, "I'm afraid it's something terrible." And she slapped the paper down against the table, her shoulders shaking as she bit her lip to keep from laughing. There, next to a large photo of the family and emblazoned on the front page in big bold letters, was an article entitled, "BRAD PITT: DAFT OR DANGEROUS? FAMOUS MUGGLE STAR'S SECRET WIZARD LIFE."

Snape's head fell onto his arms with a groan as everyone around the table began laughing once again.