Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise as the metal shattered around his hand. The goblets at Hogwarts were goblin made and there weren't any cracks or seems that could have faulted. And only a very powerful witch or wizard could seriously damage goblin made items.

Harry watched as the glass began to fall towards Dumbledore slowly, almost as if time was running more slowly on the staff table then in the rest of the hall. The Headmaster seemed to freeze in panic and let the metal fall around him.

Then the metal fell into the wooden table the horrible sounds as if pierced the wood and loged into it. Dumbledore gave a quiet gasp and clasped his fingers over a gash on his wand hand that was bleeding profusely. The rest of the metal seemed forgotten and Flitwick banished it with a quick charm, working the same spell on the shard lodged in the Headmaster's hand.

“Stop that!” Pomfrey ran hurriedly to the Headmaster's side, her voice growing loud and shrill in her worry. Her wand was already in her hand and a few quick charms cleaned and sealed the wound. “Drink this.” She ordered, waving her wand to conjure a deep red potion.

Harry winced at the sight of the blood replenishing draft. He'd only ever had to take the potion once after he'd hit his head badly in a Quidditch accident, but the taste was one that he still had forgotten. It made him thing of blood, the colour of the potion and the bitter, metallic taste that accompanied it.

“How could that have happened?” Stephen asked him nervously. “Is there a spell that breaks goblets?” He looked at Harry with a confused expression.

Su giggled for a moment before remembering that the situation wasn't funny. “No. Most spells are more generalized.” She picked up her own empty goblet and showed the muggleborn the bottom of it. “See the crest? That means that the goblet should basically be unbreakable.”

Things at the head table had calmed down. Dumbledore had taken his seat with his hand neatly fixed and everyone was filling their plates with food. But Snape was glaring at Lucius Malfoy with undisguised hatred.

Bellatrix gave her husband an jab to the ribs with her elbow. “Sev, you don't know if he did.” She hissed. “You're making everyone suspicious, starring at him like that.” She told him, still using low tones.

Snape just grunted and cut his potato into millions of tiny pieces, pretending that it was Lucius's head. He didn't trust the Death Eater, even if they were close friends. It made him feel uncomfortable and he didn't want Harry to get too close to his Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius since he was probably going to end up fighting against them.

The chatter in the hall gradually changed topics from Dumbledore's accident to the activities of lovers, the night's homework and the new project Dumbledore had explained to them. It did sound like a lot of extra work, even if it would be fun.

“Who do you think is in the groups?” Su asked the two boys sitting on either side of her. “I know that I probably wasn't selected. I've got enough information about both sides.” She pretended to look upset. “What will I ever do with all my free time?”

Harry and Stephen exchanged looks. “The first year group isn't very diverse.” Harry told her finally. “There's me and Draco for purebloods and Stephen and Hermione Granger for the mudbloods.” The word slipped out of his mouth accidently.

Su gave him a strange look. “I didn't think you were the type Harry.” She commented, glaring at him. “but if you're going to act that way. . .not my problem.” She turned away from him and engaged Stephen in conversation.

“Come on Su.” Harry protested. “I didn't mean to say 'mudblood.' It just slipped out.” He complained. “And why would you get so angry? Plenty of people call muggleborns 'mudbloods'.”

Su gave him another scowl. “Don't be coarse Black! Some of us actually have some human decency!” She stood up and stomped angrily out of the Great hall, ignoring the two boys calls for her to return.

“What does 'mudblood' mean anyway?” Stephen asked, turning back to Harry. “She wouldn't tell me. Just said it was rude and I was better off not knowing it.” He shrugged. “Normally, I'd just look it up, but that seems like too much work.” He gave a lazy smile.

Harry shifted nervously on the bench. “It's a word for a person with nonmagical parents. A muggleborn, like you.”

Stephen just looked confused. “What's wrong with that? I didn't think Su would get upset if someone said something that was true. Would she have a fit if someone called her Asian?” He asked, his fingers itching to look the answer up in a book.

“Uh well. . .” Harry pondered the best way to explain the insult without getting his friend mad at him. Su was angry and Kevin was gone and he really didn't feel like hanging out with anyone else. They were too much stereotypical Ravenclaws, there were things in life besides marks, they just hadn't noticed yet. “It's usually used in a nasty way. Meaning that someone's blood is dirty and they aren't fit to associate with normal wizards. Purebloods.” He looked nervously at Stephen, hoping the boy wasn't going to become angry with him.

Luckily, Stephen just shrugged. “Whatever. I've been called worse things that Primary school. I think I can handle you accidently insulting me when you're not even paying attention to what you're saying.” He gave Harry a slightly harder look. “That doesn't mean that I like it. So try not to insult me without realizing it.”

Harry nodded and finished the rest of the meal in silence. He needed to figure out some way to apologize to Su, get Kevin to come back to school, and finish all his homework. And he hadn't even started the project his father had assigned them.

“You finished?” Stephen asked, finally breaking the silence.

After licking the remaining chocolate pudding off his spoon, Harry nodded. “Let's get out of here. Maybe go back to the library?” He asked hopefully. If he was really luckily maybe Madame Pince would let him try and find a book on liquid cruciatus potion.

But before he could get a up a hand fell heavily onto his shoulder. Harry jumped in surprise, turning to face his father.

“Dad, you scared me! Can't you say something before you terrify a person out of their skin?” He complained. After he realized what he'd said Harry's face lit up in embarrassment. “Sorry Professor Snape. Was there something you wanted?”

Snape had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting out laughing in front of the entire population of Hogwarts. He loved Harry, he could always count on him to say something funny and lighten the tension of the situation. “Madame Pomfrey needs to see you in the Hospital Wing immediately after you've finished eating.”

Harry groaned and looked at his empty plate. “Would you believe me if I told you I wasn't finished yet?” He asked hopefully. There was still a decent chance that Pomfrey wouldn't be happy with the way he was healing and would make him spend the rest of the week in the hospital wing. That was something he definitely didn't want.

“No. And you may not have anyone dessert.” Snape added. “Come on.” He crossed his arms and waited for Harry to climb off the bench and follow him towards Poppy's domain. “It'll be over before you know it. And if you don't like potions and healers, don't get hurt.” He told his son sternly. It was hard to feel sorry for him after he'd tried to take on a Dark Lord.

Harry shrugged and kept silent until they'd arrived at the Hospital wing. He took a seat on the empty bed that Snape pointed to and squirmed around while waiting for the mediwitch to arrive. But the voices just outside the curtain surrounding his bed kept disturbing him.

“Everything looks fine Severus. She can go in as soon as you're ready.” Pomfrey told his father, he could hear the click of her heels as she headed back towards her office.

Then the sounds of someone in soft soled shoes got louder. “Next weekend Severus?” His mother asked. But there was no answer, so he assumed that his father must have nodded or shook his head. But this pondering had to come to an end when Pomfrey pulled aside the curtain.

“There you are Harry!” She said, pulling her wand out of her pocket and running it up and down his body as she ran a few diagnostic checks. “Hmm.”

Harry mentally groaned. Whenever she started making noises like that it meant that he was going to be stuck in the Hospital wing for quite a few days, possibly even a week. “Really Madame Pomfrey, I'm fine.” He assured her.

She scoffed and ran a spell that made his insides tingle and a shiver run down his spine. “I still don't like this.” Pomfrey murmured to herself. “It doesn't seem. . .” She spun her wand around his midsection and followed it up his spine to his neck. “Now I see. . .” She peered closely at her wand.

“Is something wrong?” Harry asked confused. He felt fine, actually he felt great! The school mediwitch didn't seem to agree, and she still hadn't answered. “Madame Pomfrey?”

She looked back into his face with a kind smile. “Well Harry-” But whatever she was about to say was cut off by Percy Weasley sprinting into the Hospital wing. He stopped, panting in front of her.

“Stairs. Headmaster. Fell.” Was all he managed to get out before she snatched her wand out of its holster and set off at a run. Harry wanted more than anything to follow her. But his parents choose that moment to come in and disturb him.

Snape raised an eyebrow at Weasley. But he summoned him a glass of water before shoving him toward the other end of the ward. “Finished already Harry?” He asked, glancing around for potion phials. “I didn't think she'd let you away so easily.”

Harry shrugged. “She didn't.” He stood up and looked at his parents. “Why is everyone being so secretive? It's like there's some kind of plan going on and I'm the only one who doesn't know what's happening.”

Bellatrix and Severus exchanged nervous looks. They didn't want to tell Harry about their plans until they were positive everything was going to work. It was a nerve racking enough experience without Harry wanting to know everything that was going on.

Bellatrix bit her lip and started by asking him a question. “Would you like a little brother or sister Harry?” She asked, glancing to her husband. They both wanted a child and Pomfrey and Andromeda had set the appointment and everything was ready to proceed.

Harry looked at his mother. “You're having a baby!” He exclaimed.

“Not yet.” Snape told him. “We were considering having another child and we wanted to know what you thought about that.”   And to make sure that you don't get your hopes up in case Bella isn't able to carry him or her.

A giant smile appeared on Harry's face. “I'd love that!” He remembered all the babies he'd known. There weren't very many, but they always seemed to be happy and giggly bundles of fun. “It'd be fun.” He added with an even larger smile.

Bellatrix and Severus exchanged looks of relief. It seemed as if all their fears had been baseless.

“Why was Weasley here?” He asked, remembering the panting bot he'd sent away with water. “Panting isn't normal behaviour for him.” Bellatrix shared a smile with him. The brown noser could be extremely annoying. But sometimes Severus would have sworn that the boy should have been a Slytherin or a Ravenclaw.

Harry shrugged. “He came in and yelled something and then Madame Pomfrey ran out.” He looked at the two adults. “Maybe she had to get something?”

But the mystery ended as the door to the Hospital wing flew open and Poppy entered, dragging the Headmaster along by the sleeve around his wrist. There was a very angry look on her face and she was ignoring all his claims of being fine.

“NO Albus!” She cried, finally losing her patience. “You just fell down a very large staircase. I will not let you leave without checking you through first!” She shoved him onto a bed and stuck her wand threateningly under his nose.

Dumbledore leaned away from her wand and tried to shift away from her as she ran very enthusiastic diagnostic charms all over him.

Snape stepped up beside the mediwitch. His usually pale face was even paler. “What happened Headmaster?”