Everything was settled pretty quickly after that. Dumbledore sent Draco back to the Slytherin dormitory to pack, with instructions for him to remain there until someone came to fetch him. Then the headmaster and Severus came into the sitting room with Harry.

"Severus, Harry, may I offer you some tea and biscuits?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus glanced at his son. At another time Harry might have been tempted, but now he only wanted to pack and go home as quickly as possible. Fortunately his father seemed to understand.

"Thank you, Albus, but I don't think we're in the mood right now. We'll just finish packing and leave for Prince Hall," the Potions Master responded. "You will accompany Draco later this evening?"

"Yes, if you wish," Dumbledore agreed. "If you feel the arrangement is not working out, then of course you may send for me at once."

"Oh, I will, never fear," Severus answered dryly.

Dumbledore turned to Harry, his blue eyes sad and kind. "Harry, I am truly sorry and I hope that you will feel able to return to Hogwarts one day. But whatever you do, know that you are a wonderful young man, and try to be happy."

"Thank you, sir," Harry mumbled, ducking his head. He felt grateful for Dumbledore's obvious concern, but all of a sudden he couldn't help feeling slightly resentful too. A few minutes earlier, Dumbledore had spoken with Draco, trying to make him realize what the other boy had done to Harry, pointing out that at least Draco would not be with people who would beat or starve him.

But Dumbledore had indeed sent Harry to that fate, long ago, when Harry had been a helpless infant. His own relatives had treated him far more cruelly than anyone else ever had. Harry had thought that he had accepted Dumbledore's reasoning, that while it had pained him, the old wizard had felt that Privet Drive was still the safest place.

But now, suddenly, Harry had to wonder. Couldn't Dumbledore have done more to protect him? Hadn't there been any other place he could have gone? Couldn't Dumbledore have at least checked in from time to time and insisted that the Dursleys treat Harry properly?

But Harry couldn't deal with these emotions, not on top of everything else. He had enough to handle right now without resenting Dumbledore and old decisions made years ago. He closed his eyes for a second and tried to banish those thoughts.

When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that both his father and the headmaster were studying him in concern, but Harry certainly didn't feel like discussing anything else now.

He turned to Severus. "Can we go, Dad? Please?"

Severus nodded to him and looked back at Dumbledore. "I will see you this evening, Albus."

They stepped into the fireplace and Flooed back to the dungeons.

***

"So, that's it then?" Ron asked. He, Hermione, and Harry had spent the past two hours packing up all of Harry's things for the trip back to Prince Hall.

Harry was kneeling by his trunk, trying to squash in another layer of thick jumpers on top of the mountain of clothes already crammed inside. Severus had indeed insisted on refurbishing Harry's winter wardrobe, and for a man who always dressed so plainly and starkly himself, he certainly had bought his son an extravagant selection of clothing.

Hermione was standing by Harry's desk, reaching through the bars of Hedwig's cage to lightly stroke the snowy owl's feathers.

She shook her head at Harry. "Oh, here, let me." She flicked her wand and immediately the clothes shrank to miniature size.

Even though he was unhappy, Harry smiled up at her. "Thanks."

Ron came over. "Gosh, Harry, you have more clothes than Draco Malfoy ever dreamed of owning."

Harry shut the lid of the trunk and fastened it with a frown. "Let's not talk about him, okay?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance.

"Harry, you don't have to let him go to Prince Hall if it's too hard for you," Hermione said softly.

Harry sighed. She was right, he knew. It had been his choice to allow the Slytherin boy to come. If he had said ‘no', then that would have been the end of it. Yet in another way, Harry felt that he hadn't had much choice. In spite of everything, he didn't want Draco to have to go to Azkaban. Mainly because he couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him, but also for his father's sake. Draco Malfoy was still Severus' godson and Severus would have to feel some little bit of concern and sorrow for him.

"Well, let's just not talk about him. I'm not going to see him or talk with him or have anything to do with him, so as far as I'm concerned, he's got nothing to do with me, all right?" Harry stood and looked about at his room. The desk and shelves were bare now. Everything was ready to go.

He turned to his two best friends. "I'm going to miss you guys so much."

They came close.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "We're going to miss you too, Harry. I wish...," her voice trailed off.

"I can't stay, Mione," Harry whispered thickly. "I'm sorry, but I just can't."

She nodded and hugged him.

"Your dad said something about us coming to visit, didn't he?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I need to speak with Dumbledore. But Dad thought he would be okay with it," Harry replied.

"Well, then," Ron said with forced cheer. "That'll be all right. We'll see you again soon."

"Yeah, soon," Harry agreed. They were quiet for a moment and then Harry took his wand and cast featherlight and shrinking charms on his trunk. Then he easily lifted it and went out to the parlour, his friends following.

Severus was shrinking some boxes. He straightened and turned to the three teens. "Are you ready, Harry?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Well, then...," Severus was interrupted by a knock on the door to the outside corridor. They all looked questioningly at one another and then Severus went to answer it.

Ginny, Neville, and Luna stood there, looking nervous but determined. Well, Ginny and Neville looked nervous. Luna was gazing about the Slytherin corridor with a sort of serene curiousity.

When Severus opened the door, Neville took a deep breath and said politely, "Good afternoon, sir. We wondered if we could see Harry for a few minutes?"

Severus looked back at his son with a raised eyebrow. Harry hesitated, but finally nodded. He dreaded having to answer their questions about the slavery spell and why he hadn't told them, but he owed it to Neville, Ginny, and Luna to see them before he left.

But they didn't ask any questions. When Severus stepped aside and ushered them in, Neville, Ginny, and Luna went straight to Harry and simply engulfed him in a big hug.

"Harry, we just wanted you to know that we love you and we'll always be on your side," Luna said.

Ginny nodded, her eyes bright. "Ron and Hermione said you were leaving?"

Harry nodded, feeling unable to speak past the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat.

Ginny looked unhappy. "I wish you would stay. We'll miss you, Harry."

Harry only nodded again. He felt like an idiot, just standing there like a lump, silently nodding at everything, but he didn't want to risk breaking down either.

"Harry, if you would stay, we would make sure that no one gave you a hard time," Ginny continued seriously. Neville and Luna nodded quickly in agreement.

"That's right. Ron and I could stay with you all the time, and the girls could for most of the time, too," Neville told him. "We'd always be around to keep anyone from bothering you."

"Anyone who tried wouldn't know what hit them," Ginny said fiercely.

"I bet none of the professors would even give us detention," Ron added, giving Harry a hopeful look.

Harry sighed and shook his head. He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak, "I'm sorry. I am. You're the best friends that anyone could have, but I just can't stay here now."

Ginny and Luna hugged him again.

"We'll miss you," Luna said quietly.

"Harry, you know my Great-Uncle Algie?" Neville asked abruptly.

Harry frowned in confusion, unsure how Great-Uncle Algie related to the present situation, but he nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you know what he does for a living?" Neville went on without waiting for an answer. "He's in business. He buys and sells shares in different companies all the time. Well, recently he just happened to buy controlling shares of the stock in the Daily Prophet, so he has some influence there. I'm going to write to him and he can find out who wrote that article. I don't think he can fire them legally, if what they wrote is true, but he can make life difficult for that person."

"Thanks, Neville," was all Harry could say.

Neville held out his hand and Harry clasped it. Then they let go and Neville glanced over to Ginny and Luna. "Well, I guess that was it. We just wanted to see you and tell you that you can count on us."

Severus had been watching them. He cleared his throat and approached Neville. "Mr. Longbottom,...," he paused and took a deep breath. "Mr. Longbottom, you are a good friend to my son, and I would like to thank you as well."

Neville looked startled. He gazed at Severus for a moment, considering, and then slowly nodded. "You're welcome, sir. But you don't have to thank me for being Harry's friend. He's always been a good friend to me."

Severus inclined his head. He looked at the others gathered around Harry. "Thank you, all of you. Harry and I will speak with Professor Dumbledore this evening about arranging for you all to come to Prince Hall to visit. I believe the headmaster will be agreeable, but he will need to have permission from your parents or guardians before you can come. So if you would like to visit, may I suggest that you go ahead and contact your families."

Harry smiled at him, feeling better than he had since the news had broken. He had known that Severus would welcome Ron and Hermione to Prince Hall, but that he would also agree to allow Ginny, Luna, and Neville...well, that meant a lot to Harry.

His father's dark eyes rested on him. "If you're ready, Harry, I suppose we should be off. Norie and Zan were going to prepare a late lunch for us, and your friends will miss eating in the Great Hall if we don't leave soon."

Harry looked over at his friends...Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, the best friends anyone could ever have. He had already thanked them all and he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Ginny and Luna hugged him quickly again. Neville waved. Then Hermione and Ron came over and wrapped their arms around him.

Harry hugged them back, hard. "I love you," he whispered.

"We love you, too," Hermione whispered back and Ron nodded.

Finally they stepped apart and Harry grabbed the handle of his trunk. He went over to the fire place and reached into the vase on the mantel for a pinch of Floo powder. He tossed it into the grate and stepped in, calling out, "Prince Hall!"

Green fire swirled around him, and then he was tumbling out into the kitchen at Prince Hall, just as he had four months earlier, but this time he fell into Norie and Zan's exuberant welcoming embrace.