Chapter Fifty:

The Unwanted Return to Privet Drive

After breakfast the next morning, Harry said his goodbyes to the ghosts, Beastie, the house elves, and all his friends, telling them that he'd be counting down the days until he saw them again. Everyone had packed their things and got on board the Hogwarts Express, waving farewell to their favorite teachers and faculty members.

"Goodbye, Gramps!" Celia was waving frantically to Dumbledore. "I'm going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you, too, Celia," Dumbledore told the now-graduated Seventh Year.

While most people were taking the end of the year in a serious manner, Harry couldn't help but find an opportunity for humor.

"Oh, come on! When's the next time we can pull this off? Next year when my kid brother's here?"

"Is he within seeing distance, Cassandra?" Harry asked his friend and "girlfriend." It was a joke that only a few people knew about; everyone else thought Harry had lost his marbles and actually asked out the Potion Master's niece…including Snape.

"He's right over there, and gaining ground," Cassandra responded. "Quick, Harry; before he overlooks us!" She then began to run her fingers through his hair. Actually, it felt rather good. "I know you and I said no kissing—"

"I meant it," Harry said strongly, "unless it'll get a rise out of Snape."

"Believe me, it will," Cassandra sniggered.

"Alright, then!" Harry grinned and put one hand between Cassandra's shoulder blades, and another one by her ankle. He lifted the leg and tilted the other part backwards, and planted a kiss right on her lips, knowing that the only reason it had been done was to make Snape dreadfully mad.

"POTTER!" Snape snarled.

Hooray for me!' Harry thought to himself. It worked!'

There was something wrong with what happened next; Cassandra entered the train along with Harry, still holding his hand and playing her role.

"Hold on!" Harry exclaimed. "You live in Hogsmeade; why are you getting on the train?"

"Morty and I got on—"

"Morty lives near Greenwich! He has reason to get on the train, Cassandra! But you—"

"Will you let me finish? Morty and I got on the train for one special reason, and that's so we can meet this Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia you spoke of."

There was a malicious grin on her face as she walked along the corridor, still holding on to Harry's hand.

"This should prove to be amusing."

"I dare say it'll be amusing!" Harry agreed, and then groaned. "Are you going up to them in witch attire?"

"All the better to freak them out with, my dear." Cassandra had a slightly haughty tone in her voice, like she had used back in Nezura's Curiosity. "Morty's sitting with the prefects, so Ron and Hermione are going to be in there with him. You and I, however, can sit anywhere."

The Hogwarts Express was slowly creeping out of the train station. Cassandra then stuck her head out a window and began waving.

"Don't you want to wave a temporary goodbye to Severus?" she teased.

"If it'll make him even more angry, sure," Harry replied, and started waving at Snape, who—much to his surprise—was still red in the face from anger.

"Bye, Severus!" he jeered, watching with glee as Snape seemed to be shouting at him, waving his fist. "He didn't look too thrilled."

"Let's just hope his wand wasn't in his fist," Cassandra half-laughed. "Pick a cabin, Harry."

Harry walked into Cabin 54, where the school year's excitement had all started. It didn't seem like he and his friends had witnessed an almost to-the-death fight between a Death Eater and Nezura in this very room at the very beginning of their Sixth Year. "Did you know that this is where Nezura fought against Necro?"

"Do you know Necro's real name?" Cassandra asked Harry. "I'm only asking because I asked Dr. Hemlock about the son she disowned…Brian. Turns out he changed his name to 'Necro' once he was seventeen, and kept it. That wasn't a nickname. Mortius, however, was a nickname for Julius Cantarus." She had a smirk on her face and said, "We really have come quite a way since then, haven't we? It seems like only yesterday—but at the same time, ages ago—that this year began."

"Do you remember the time you used that special Clairvoyancy technique in Lewn's class and—months later—your prediction came true while you were still in Azkaban?"

"Yeah…" Cassandra let her head rest on Harry's shoulder and had the green light in her eyes flaring up to the magnitude of a dying star, metaphorically speaking. "And the look on icky Parenein's face when I used the Asphyxiation Charm. Oh, and when I questioned Dumbledore's authority…and the time you and Malfoy lip-locked out in public—"

"He was drugged on pink Mood Drops!" Harry interrupted. "I didn't enjoy that!"

"I wouldn't enjoy being kissed by Malfoy, either," Cassandra told Harry. "You're not in the wrong on that one. Besides, it was Malfoy who kissed you."

A few people had paused outside the door, peering in. One of which was Lisa Turpin, whom Darius had been paid handsomely to Resurrect a week earlier. "Here's our chance to make this joke last all summer!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You-Know-Who is out there," Cassandra spoke softly.

Harry looked at the window through the corner of his eye, and only saw Lisa. "I thought you meant—"

"I meant the school gossip," Cassandra blurted. "Come on; kissing you isn't all that bad."

"You're not all that bad, either," Harry admitted…but would he really know about good and bad kissers? He closed his eyes and gave Cassandra yet another theatrical kiss. Special effects were added by Cassandra's hands gently massaging his shoulders as she kissed back. It was a bit disturbing when Harry thought about what he was doing too carefully, but if he didn't think about it, he found that pretending to have Cassandra for a girlfriend had been very fun. The Slytherin and the Gryffindor looked at the Cabin window to see a very shocked Lisa with her mouth hanging open. Her eyes seemed to tell what she was thinking…I have SO got to tell everyone about this!'

"You're a good actor," Cassandra admitted.

"I got a lot of practice from lying to your uncle," Harry half-joked. It was the truth, but Cassandra didn't need to know that. "But it wasn't just him; I have to do that sometimes so I don't get in trouble."

"That is amoral."

"So is killing a teacher."

"Okay, so we're even," Cassandra shrugged her shoulders and let out a long yawn. "It's surprisingly quiet in here. I'm surprised nobody else—"

"Harry! Cassandra! There you are!" Ginny spoke up and sat down next to Cassandra. Luna came in and took a seat next to Harry. "Neville will be in here in a little bit."

"You and Harry make a weird couple," Luna told Cassandra. "I bet the meeper bit both of you at the dance and neither one of you is in your right senses."

"No, nothing bit me," Cassandra confessed. "Luna, I know all about the meeper from the Quibbler, seeing as I read it, and your dad wrote that those little buggers don't bite vampires because they'll turn into cockroaches if they do."

"Hagrid squished a roach accidentally at the End-of-Course Ball," said Luna. "I bet it bit you and sacrificed itself so this insanity would last for more than a week."

"If so, it worked," Ginny added. "Harry, nobody ever suspected you guys to become a couple."

"He's just full of surprises, then, isn't he?" Cassandra teased. "So, Ginny, did you sign up for any clubs?"

"Dark Arts Awareness, Book Club, and Dueling," Ginny answered. "The only reason I wanted to take Dark Arts Awareness is because Professor Skylarke's the club director."

"You like Morty?" Cassandra's eyebrows were raised.

"I think that he should've been dressing like he's dressing now all along," Ginny confessed, and then blushed. "I mean, I know he's older than me, and I'm a student, and it's not like I want to date him…but I think he's cute for an older guy." Everyone in the cabin got a good laugh out of that comment. "You're joining that club too, right?"

"Yes," Cassandra and Harry said together.

"I am joining Special Friends," Luna confessed to the group. "Professor Ebonyste's Double Secret Special Friend Treatment was lots of fun, so I'm sure Special Friends Club will be just as entertaining." She smiled a bit and said, "It was pretty cool watching him cut the Dark Mark out of his arm—"

"Ewww!" Ginny shrieked. "Luna, I don't want to hear about Ebonyste carving his half-fairy flesh!"

"Er…can we come in here?" Neville asked, but didn't wait for an answer. Dean and Seamus followed immediately after and made themselves at home in the cabin. Dean was beginning to pull his school robe off and bundle it up.

"Neville, Dean, Seamus…" Cassandra lowered her eyelids a bit, and curled the ends of her mouth up into a pseudo-smile and said a calm, "welcome to Cabin 54."

"So, is it official?" Neville sounded dejected. "You and Harry are really—"

"Oh, yes," Harry blurted, and winked at Neville.

"Great," Neville fake-groaned. However, it was clear that Seamus and Dean weren't fooled by his not-so-high-caliber performance.

"Something's fishy," Seamus spoke aloud.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Cassandra facetiously replied, batting her eyelashes in an out-of-character manner.

"You guys aren't dating!" Seamus pointed a finger at Harry, and then at Cassandra. "You're just playing around like you are!"

"Is the cabin door sealed off?" Cassandra asked suddenly.

"Er…nobody's out there," Dean told her. "And yes."

"Good," Cassandra let out a sigh and then confessed. "No, Harry and I aren't a real couple. We were just pretending to be one to shock everybody." The small smile grew into that familiar carnivorous grin. "It's a great thrill."

"Don't tell anyone," Harry shushed the group. "And whatever you do, play along."

"Oh, alright," Seamus chuckled. "That's low, Harry; kissing Snape's niece right in front of everyone!"

"That's more than low," Dean told Harry, "that's gross."

"Watch what you say around me," Neville hissed at Dean.

"Where are Blaise and Rhianna?" Luna asked. "Cassandra, they seem to be with you most of the time."

"They live in Hogsmeade," Cassandra answered. "I live there, too; I'm just coming here so everyone thinks I'm giving Harry a few goodbye kisses or something just as ridiculous. Also, I'm going to meet his relatives."

"I'm going to visit my uncle this summer," Neville added to the conversation.

"Good for you," Seamus and Dean said in unison, both sarcastically.

Everyone sniggered a little, and then the little lady with the candy cart passed by. She knocked on the cabin door and opened it. "Care for anything on the trolley, dears?"

"Have you got any blood-lollipops?" Cassandra asked the lady. When the cart lady nodded, Cassandra's eyes seemed to get a lustful look. "I'll take four."

"Why, my dear, you must be pretty hungry, or plan on giving those to a vampire you fancy!" the cart lady exclaimed.

"I declare," Cassandra grumbled, unwrapping one of her newly-purchased candies, "it's like people always seem to forget I'm a vampire unless they attend Hogwarts…"

"Maybe she doesn't read The Daily Prophet or the Quibbler," Seamus offered. "Er…madam, I'd like a chocolate frog."

"Any more of the Every-Flavor Beans?" Dean asked.

"Here you are!" the cart lady said merrily as she exchanged her candies for money. "Anything for you two ladies?" she asked Ginny and Luna.

"I don't have any money on me," Ginny admitted.

"I'll buy three luminescence bars," Luna told the lady, handing her a few Knuts. After she got the glowing white-chocolate bars, she gave one to Ginny and one to Neville.

"And for you, Mr. Potter?" the lady asked. "Anything?"

"I guess I'll have Mood Drops," Harry told her with a smile on his face. "Have you got any?"

"Why, yes, I do…but they're so expensive—"

"That's alright," Harry told her, and handed her two Galleons. "I want them."

"Thank you, sir!" the cart lady chirped, happy with her business. She closed the cabin door and continued on her way.

"Mmm…" Dean said suddenly, a little chocolate frog-leg hanging out of his mouth.

"DEAN!" Seamus shouted angrily. "THAT WAS MINE!"

The squabble continued for a few seconds before the door was slammed open.

"What is it?" McGonagall snapped.

"Professor McGonagall!" Seamus yelped. "Dean ate a chocolate frog!"

"He's not allergic to chocolate, is he?" asked McGonagall.

"No, but it was MY frog, too!" Seamus wasn't too happy.

"Finnigan, you're sixteen," McGonagall scowled at him. "Start acting like it." With that, she slammed the door again.

"That was nice," Cassandra joked, still licking her candy. "The Head of your House had to silence your pleas."

"We're not deaf, you know," Dean told Cassandra. "Oh, look! It appears to me that the prefects can come back to wherever-it-is that they want to go!"

"Lovely," Ginny sounded happy. "Now Ron and Hermione can keep us company—"

"Hello," Ron said, entering into the cabin with Hermione. "Isn't it a shame that we can't have Rick Fallowin in here with us? He was quite the comedian."

"And that mole on his face…" Seamus chuckled. "That was one big mole—"

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted, trying to change the topic. "Harry, I hope you have everything packed."

"Oh, I do."

"Did you get a chance to talk to Ahsimal about the New Orleans trip?" Ron asked Harry.

"Just for a few minutes before breakfast," said Harry. "He said that if Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia says it's fine, I can go. Therefore, I bet I'll be staying in Surrey."

"That's a real shame, mate," replied Ron. "I've always wanted to go to the French Quarter, too. It's a bit like the Diagon Alley of the southern States. Besides, it's not too far away from that Laveau University place your…er…girlfriend will be attending after next year's over."

"That is if I live past it," Cassandra commented. "I'm pretty sure all of you know that Voldemort is now a vampire. That probably means most people will become pro-Slayer and the Slayer's Renaissance will start anew." A rather morbid laugh came out of her throat as she added, "So, of course, I'll try to find ways to keep myself hidden."

"Smart move," Hermione admitted. "Cassandra, I'm glad that the Hogwarts staff decided to pay for your college tuition."

"I'm glad too; there's no way my mum would pay for me to leave the country to merely attend a specific university, and Laveau was my first choice," Cassandra confessed. "You and Ron are prefects, so maybe you can answer this question for me."

"Go on," Ron and Hermione spoke simultaneously.

"Do you know who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts when we get back?" Everyone was looking around in Cabin 54, not quite sure what the answer to that would be. It was clear that Ron and Hermione had some sort of an idea about who it would be, but were obviously trying to keep it a secret. Cassandra leered at them, looming over their shoulders. "Well…?"

"From what Professor Skylarke told us in Cabin 11," Ron began, "he was offered the position and refused, seeing as he enjoys teaching Curses & Rootwork too much to transfer."

"Thank God," Ginny interrupted.

"So it'll be one of two remaining candidates," Hermione continued. "If we can find a Potions instructor who's qualified enough to teach that course, then we might have Snape teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts permanently."

There were groans coming from everyone in the cabin, except Cassandra (who looked rather interested). "And if no such person can be found, Dumbledore found another great person who has had experience teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts in a foreign country."

"Pernicia Bellicose?" Harry said the words as if they were a question.

"Why, how did you know that?" Hermione was laughing. "Lucky guess, Harry!"

"Ugh!" Harry moaned. "You mean I was right?!"

"Damn," Cassandra grumbled. "That woman is more than pro-Slayer…she's the real thing. If she's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts next year, some of the Hogwarts staff and students will be put in an extremely uncomfortable situation. Having some of the teachers as Slayers was bad enough, but the Defense teacher has plenty of power over his or her students, and wherever that person's ethics stand concerning vampires will determine how the school vampires are treated!"

"Now, I hope Snape gets the job," Harry groaned. "I never thought I'd say that, but now I'm hoping he gets it." Luna and the Gryffindors all looked at Harry as if he had let out an extremely vile chain of curse words.

"Pernicia Bellicose can't be that bad!" Hermione argued. "Dumbledore requested her for a reason, and I'm sure it's because she's a great teacher."

"Why do you think Dumbledore won't give the job back to Nezura?" Seamus asked. "She was cute, funny, and made sure we knew our stuff fairly well. Sure, Dr. Hemlock was the better teacher out of the two of them, but Nezura wasn't all that bad."

"Nezura wandered off topic too much," Hermione stated.

"And," added Cassandra, "she's always running off to investigate cases. Nezura isn't stable enough to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts full-time."

"Anyone but Pernicia Bellicose will be fine by me." Harry looked out the window to see that Malfoy and a few of his fellow Slytherins were bothering Lavinia the Hufflepuff…the girl who'd given Harry the love note on Valentine's Day. "What is he—"

"Give him back!" Lavinia wailed; Harry could hear a bit better once he slightly opened the cabin door. "Please, give me back my kitty cat!" Malfoy was suspending a white Persian kitten up in the air, right above the First Year's head. "Henry hasn't done anything to you!"

"You named your bloody cat Henry?" Malfoy asked, still making the cat bounce in the air. "I thought Mr. Fluff would suit this one better. He almost looks like a cotton ball with a scrunched-up face and a tail!"

"Quit it!" Lavinia whined, jumping up and down to try to retrieve her kitten. "I can't leave the train without Henry!"

"Malfoy, give the cat back," Harry sighed, pulling out his wand. "If you don't stop, I'm going to have to retrieve it from you."

"I'd like to see you try," Malfoy replied, making the cat spin in circles. Lavinia screamed.

"She hasn't done anything to you!" Hermione yowled. Cassandra, Ron, and Neville peered out of the cabin also.

"Is it true, Harry?" Lisa asked suddenly, going up to Harry. "Are you and Cassandra a couple?"

"Er…Lisa, go away!" Cassandra snapped. "It's none of your business whether or not we're dating!" She pulled out her wand also. "I'm not afraid to curse you…you know I was one out of three students to make a perfect 'Outstanding' in Curses & Rootwork, as well as Phobomancy."

"Fenrir's class pet," Malfoy muttered, making Henry the cat do cartwheels. "That's what you are, Cassandra." With that, he snapped his fingers and Henry came to a complete four-feet landing. "There…happy now?"

"Yes," the group stated. Harry then pointed his wand at Malfoy and said, "How about one more duel?"

"I'd like that!" Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry and said, "Talus Regulations, not Rulebook."

"Fine," Harry shook Malfoy's hand and looked around. "I'm calling Ron as my second. Who are you going to get?"

"Cassandra." Malfoy beckoned for Cassandra to come over there. "How about it?"

"If you pay me," Cassandra spoke dryly as she stretched out her left hand. Malfoy handed her nine Galleons, and so he ended up having the more dangerous second than Harry's choice.

"I'm ready to begin, Potter!" Malfoy shouted, a wicked smile on his pale face.

"Intolerarus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Malfoy. Malfoy began to flinch and scream; Harry remembered the Intolerable Curse from his little Midnight Duel with Malfoy earlier that year. "Thanks for giving me the idea, Malfoy."

"Anthius Twistari!" Malfoy hissed back at Harry, clutching his arm in a certain spot. Harry doubled over in pain; his back was curving inwards to make the shape of the letter 'C'.

"Amplifius!" Harry snarled at Malfoy, who then yelped. "Hurts, doesn't it?"

"WHY HASN'T THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC MADE THIS SPELL ILLEGAL?!" Malfoy screamed in pain.

"Because the spell only hurts you," Hermione told Malfoy in her know-it-all tone, "and it doesn't cause any deaths or insanities, it's still legal to use. In fact, some Aurors use the Intolerable Curse to get confessions out of stubborn criminals."

"The more you loathe the person you place it on, the worse the pain will be," Cassandra added. "And—of course—the Amplification Hex can be added to any Curse any number of times to intensify the effects."

"You'd know that, wouldn't you?" Malfoy squeaked, still writhing on the floor in pain. "Potter, take it off!"

"Not until you admit defeat," Harry calmly told his rival.

"Inflictus!" Malfoy squealed, hitting Harry directly between the eyes with a jinx. Harry's back made a perfect right angle, but it somehow hadn't snapped in two.

"Amplifius!" Harry responded, making Malfoy's pain double yet again in size. His back was on fire, or—at least—that's how it felt.

"Call a draw!" Hermione shouted. "Quit being stubborn and call a draw! It'll all stop once the duel's over!"

"DRAW!" Harry and Malfoy shouted. Both sighed in relief as the pain evaporated.

"That was entertaining," Cassandra said, "but I've seen more interesting duels. The one between Marcus and Morty back in September, for example…"

"Good duel, Malfoy," Harry congratulated the Slytherin and then smirked at him. "You've been a worthy foe."

"You too," Malfoy agreed, smirking back as he went into his cabin. "You know, we only have about five minutes before the Hogwarts Express reaches the station."

"I suggest we all get our stuff," Ron offered. "I can't wait to see my Mum and Dad." Ginny nodded to second that opinion.

"Me too!" Hermione agreed.

"Is Professor Skylarke going to meet your aunt and uncle?" Dean suddenly asked Harry. "I know you're introducing them to Cassandra, but I thought I heard something about Skylarke."

"Yeah, he's going to have a word with them," Harry told his friend.

"Maybe you should go find him," Seamus pointed out. "After all, we're almost there."

"Good idea, Seamus," Harry commented. "Ron? Hermione? Luna? Have any of you seen Morty anywhere?"

"Last I saw of him, he was giving the Second Years a demonstration to promote his class in Cabin 2," Hermione admitted.

"I saw him head over to the loo ten minutes ago," Ron offered. "And he was in Cabin 11 with the prefects for a while."

"There's no time to talk about this," Hermione harped. "We've got tofind him!" She—along with Ron—pulled her wand out of a robe pocket and stood beside Harry. "Cassandra, are you coming?"

"Of course," Cassandra responded, "but what about Luna?"

"I'd like to accompany you guys," Luna answered. "Skylarke owes me two Sickles, so I'll help you find him."

"Thanks!" Hermione smiled at Luna and gave her the thumbs-up. "Now, where do we look first?"

"Why not the men's bathroom?" Ron suggested. "No, wait…unless he's got motion sickness, he won't be in there." At that moment, the train came to a halt. "Well, wherever he is, Harry, you and Cassandra better find him."

"How are you getting home?" Harry asked Cassandra suddenly.

"My mum and I thought we'd go ahead and get some of my school supplies while we're in London," Cassandra told Harry. "She'll be at the station too."

"That's good," Harry replied, a faint smile on his face with the very memory of Lydia. She had been a marvelous help over the course of the year, and he hoped that he could still visit the Lair next year. "Am I still welcome at the Lair?"

"Always," Cassandra promised. "Ron and Hermione may come whenever they like, too, but I might want to go ahead and warn all of you; some of my mum's friends are still in the Death Eaters, although she betrayed the group by helping you."

"Lydia's not all that bad," Ron laughed. "How could something that sexy be bad?"

"My mum just so-happens to be a lamia," Cassandra spat. "And in case you already forgot, I'm now becoming the same thing."

"Since you're now one of them," Hermione said, still looking for Morty, "Cassandra, you're one out of twenty-one lamiae left in the world!"

"It's nineteen," Harry corrected Hermione. "Portia Cyanis got attacked by a Slayer this year, remember? And Lewn…she was a lamia too. There'd be eighteen of them left, if Cassandra wasn't becoming number nineteen."

"Seventeen out of that nineteen are pure evil, too," Cassandra admitted. "My mum and I seem to be the only ones left who try our best to keep whatever humanity remains in us."

"You're doing a great job," Ron told her. He then turned to Harry and Hermione. "Well, the train stopped, and I can see my Mum and Dad out there with Fred and George, so I guess this means that Ginny and I've got to go. I'll write you over the summer; be sure to do the same."

"Don't worry!" Hermione waved goodbye to Ron and Ginny. "I'll write at least once a week!" She then looked out, and left the Hogwarts Express rather quickly. "Mum! Dad! I'm home!" She looked back to face Harry and waved.

"Bye, Hermione," Harry said, sighing. He looked at Luna and said, "Any luck in finding Morty?"

"You mean Professor Skylarke?" Luna asked. "Yeah…he's left the train already, and I think that's him looking for you out there. See you next year, Harry."

"Take care, Luna!" Harry rushed off, holding his Slytherin friend's hand. "Cassandra, do you see Morty anywhere?"

"Er…" Cassandra narrowed her eyes and drew her glasses up close to her face so she could see better. "What was he wearing today?"

"Teacher's robes," Harry told her. "See him?"

"You mean to tell me he dressed up in his teacher's robes today? That's the first time this year that he's worn—"

"I think he did it to get a rise out of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia."

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces," Cassandra told Harry as she played a bit with her ring.

The two Hogwarts students went up to Morty and tapped him on the shoulder. "Looking for us, Morty?" Harry asked. "I hope it didn't take you too long."

"There you are," Morty halfway-chuckled. "Harry, I really do need to have a little word with your guardians." He then handed over two sheets of parchment, one for each student. "I had only three of my Sixth Years manage to receive an 'Outstanding' grade in my Curses & Rootwork class, and the two of you, as well as Draco Malfoy, are to have these letters with you over the summer. I managed to persuade the Minister of Magic to sign these; they are Underage Magic Permits for Exceptionally Talented Students. The three of you will be allowed to practice Exorcism, Necromancy, Curses & Rootwork, and Phobomancy over the summer. Just make sure you don't abuse your privileges, or you'll drag me into trouble along with yourself for reckless behavior."

"We're responsible students," Harry pointed out. "Er…well…at least Cassandra and I are responsible. I don't really know whether or not Malfoy's dependable."

"And that's why Aurelius, Darius, Lycaon, and I decided that the three of you should sharpen your skills over the summer." Morty's voice had a calming effect, for some odd reason. "Now, Harry, let's go find your Aunt and Uncle."

"That's Uncle Vernon over there," Harry pointed to a gruff bulldog of a man in a green sweater. "And Aunt Petunia's the woman right next to him. My cousin, Dudley, isn't here."

"Dudley, eh?" Morty had a trickster's grin on his face. "Do you get along with your cousin?"

"Oh, not at all!" Harry admitted. "He's a git."

"I see…" Morty's voice trailed off as he began walking over toward Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia with Harry and Cassandra.

"Hello."

Neither one of the adults turned around to face the Curses & Rootwork teacher, pretending he wasn't there.

"Excuse me, I greeted you politely. If you refuse to speak with me, I am afraid I'm going to have to be rude in getting your attention."

"What do you want?" Uncle Vernon snapped at Morty. He eyed the lean teacher with a dark suspicion. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mortimer Skylarke, and I'm a professor over at Harry's school. I teach Curses & Rootwork," Morty explained. "And you, sir, must be Vernon Dursley."

"I'm Harry's uncle," Vernon replied. "And this is my wife, Petunia." As soon as Morty mentioned the word 'Curses', Uncle Vernon, as well as Aunt Petunia, seemed to act a lot nicer to him; they were probably afraid that this auburn fellow was going to curse them if they provoked him.

"Er…nice to meet you," Aunt Petunia said in a tone that Harry knew meant she was extremely repulsed as she shook Morty's hand.

"And I'm Cassandra Snape," Cassandra said, eyeing Harry's guardians evilly, "a friend from school."

"Cassandra knows a lot of black magic," Harry told his aunt and uncle, and smiled when he saw them shiver.

"My mum will be here shortly," Cassandra said calmly, and then pulled out a tiny black book titled Phobomancy's Pants-Wetting Secrets.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia," Harry addressed his guardians, "I think Professor Skylarke needs to talk to you about my summer studies."

"Yes, I need to get that cleared up," Morty eyed Uncle Vernon closely and pulled out his wand. "You see, sir, your nephew has done wonderfully in my course, making the top grade I can legally give a student. He also did remarkably well in Phobomancy, Exorcism, and Necromancy. I want to make sure he doesn't lose any of his talent over the summer, you understand. He can legally use four types of magic outside of school before his seventeenth birthday this July, and they are written down on a note he'll give to you on the way home."

He jabbed the wand into Vernon's gut and then retracted it. "Make sure he practices his Dark Arts every day, and memorizes every single Curse, Hex, Charm, and Jinx I assigned him to study on his summer reading list." He waved The Perpetual Book of Continuous Curses and 1001 Horrendous Curses for Your Nemesis in Vernon's—and then Petunia's—face. "I'll know if he misses a day of practice."

"Just who do you think you are, trying to boss me around like that?" Uncle Vernon barked.

"I'm the greatest Cursemaster of the modern age," Morty hissed in response, pointing the wand directly at Uncle Vernon's forehead. "Nobody questions my authority in the wizarding world. There's not a single Curse on the face of this earth that I don't know, and I know how to do each and every one of them properly…it's my job to have this inventory of knowledge. And if you're wondering how I'll know if Harry's not practicing or isn't being treated right this summer, I always keep a palm crystal in my pocket."

"If you harm him, I'll bite you," a smooth, female voice interrupted Morty's rant.

"Lydia, hi!" Harry smiled at the Von Dorian Matriarch. He noticed that she was dressed in Muggle attire, and didn't seem to stand out in any way besides her alluring appearance. "Aunt Petunia, this is Cassandra's mum, Lydia Von Dorian."

"How do you do?" Lydia politely shook Aunt Petunia's hand, and then Uncle Vernon's. "And I meant what I said about biting you."

"Let me guess," Aunt Petunia said half-sarcastically, "you're a vampire?"

"To be more specific, I'm a lamia," Lydia corrected. "If Morty tells me that either of you is giving Harry any trouble, you'll wind up with two little holes in your neck." She then grabbed Cassandra's wrist and said, "You and I are heading to the car right now. I'll help you with your stuff, but hurry up! We can't leave your little brother at the house by himself all day…especially after that stunt I pulled on my birthday!"

"Write me whenever you like, Harry," Cassandra told her friend as she walked out of King's Cross Station. "I'll probably be spending most of my summer at home, so I won't be difficult to reach." She then grinned and added before she got out of sight, "I'll tell Teiresias you said 'hi' once I get home."

"See you later, Cassandra!" Harry waved goodbye and watched Morty continue to talk to his aunt and uncle about his Dark Arts education. It made him feel a bit funny, knowing that the Ministry had approved of him practicing black magic…and that he was going to enjoy it.

Maybe I'm not all that different from Voldemort after all, Harry thought to himself grimly as Morty finished showing Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia the summer reading list for the Dark Arts curriculum.

"Just where is it that you live, Skylarke?" Aunt Petunia asked the Cursemaster.

"I live near Greenwich," Morty explained. "And I'll be riding a bus back home once I see Harry to your car."

"Thanks," Harry whispered in Morty's ear.

"You're quite welcome," Morty told Harry. "And if you ever have any trouble with them, turn your ring upside down. One of your fellow Nemesarists will apparate over here." He then chuckled. "Just don't plan on it being Severus or Lycaon. It'll probably be me, Stanzi, or Aurelius."

"What about Darius?" Harry asked quietly.

"Darius? Well, nobody can predict what Darius will do," Morty replied. "He's proven that, don't you think?"

"Are you ready to leave?" Aunt Petunia asked Harry, still looking nervously at Morty. She was as pale as a ghost.

"Er—"

"Of course Harry's ready to leave!" Uncle Vernon began to chuckle, and patted Harry on the shoulder. "You see, Skylarke; we treat Harry rather well. He can't wait to see his cousin Dudley once we get back to Surrey."

"That's not what I've heard," Morty snapped angrily as he followed Harry and the Dursleys out to the car park.

"You kept me in the closet under the stairs until I outgrew it," Harry hissed at Uncle Vernon. His uncle glared at him warningly, as if he was daring Harry to continue.

"Oh?" Morty's slightly angry expression had turned to disgust and outrage at that comment. "Dursley, I hope what the boy is saying is a lie, for your sake." That wand was still clutched tightly in his left hand. Harry was just waiting for Uncle Vernon to make Morty angry enough to curse him.

"It's a lie, Skylarke; the boy tends to hallucinate," Uncle Vernon insisted. "We treat him very well; he's like a second son to us."

"No, I'm not!" Harry snarled. "You're just trying to suck up to my teacher so he won't jinx you!"

Uncle Vernon's face turned crimson in anger from that comment, and he curled one of his enormous hands into a tight fist. He was preparing to hit Harry. However, as the fist came hurling toward Harry, he decided to pull out his wand and shouted, "Ricochaise!" Uncle Vernon's fist missed Harry, and rebounded back into his own face.

"Professor Skylarke showed me that one this year, and now I have permission to use it."

"That was brilliant," Morty applauded Harry as he opened the car door. "Look, all of us in Nemesarium will be writing you once a week, even Severus. Not all of it is personal, and most of the letters will be copies sent to the entire group for educational purposes. Consider it an academic opportunity."

Morty then went to the front of the car and spoke with Uncle Vernon one more time. "Oh, and one more thing before you go…once Harry turns seventeen, he'll legally be an adult in the wizarding world. He'll be able to do any form of magic outside of school after his birthday."

There was a cruel sneer on his face as he parted with the words, "I just thought you'd like to know that. Harry, I'll see you back at Hogwarts…or perhaps sometime this summer."

"Goodbye, Morty—er…Professor Skylarke," Harry said, smiling as he waved farewell to the professor. As Uncle Vernon began to start the car's engine, Harry looked out the window to see Morty change his clothing's appearance into something rather normal. "Enjoy your summer," he whispered to himself.

"That Skylarke fellow's a freaky one," Uncle Vernon spoke up, putting the car into driving mode. "Every moment, I thought he was going to put a curse on my family. And Harry, don't you dare let him think you're having a bad summer!"

"If I have one, I'm going to admit it," Harry responded. Uncle Vernon turned around to shout something at Harry, but before he could open his mouth, Harry pulled out his wand and his copy of 1001 Horrendous Curses for Your Nemesis by Dr. Iphigenia Hemlock.

"Let's see…oh! The Severe Arthritis Hex sounds like a nice one I can try while I'm in the car if you yell at me!" Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia immediately shut up. "Oh, and this is that letter Professor Skylarke wanted the two of you to look over, so you know just what it is that I'm doing." And with that wonderfully uncomfortable silence, Harry put 1001 Horrendous Curses for Your Nemesis back in his bag and pulled out Necromancy, the Death Art to begin looking over the Seven Unnatural Laws of Necromancy. "Oh…so that is how you manage that…" And with that, Harry knew that this was going to be a fantastic summer, perhaps the best one he had ever had.

Epilogue: Alone in the Night

"Severus," Harry began to write on the parchment. "It has been four weeks since school got out, as you already know. I'd like to thank you for sending me the articles I requested on Revamp Resurrections, and would like to let you know that I hope you get the Defense Against the Dark Arts position this coming year. With best regards," Harry wrote out his signature and closed the envelope.

"Hedwig, get this to Snape," he told his owl. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Lots of mail had come in over the past four weeks, and most of it had been from his fellow Nemesarists. Books, articles, old magazines, and notes about various forms of black magic surrounded Harry's room, as well as a gruesome-looking miscellany of Necromantic instruments and items used for Exorcisms. A Slayer's set was by his bedside, untouched, and Pernicia Bellicose's first edition of The Slayer's Companion: A Guide to Vampiric Extermination looked as if it had only been half-opened. A photo of each and every Nemesarist was by his desk, as well as a book Hermione had sent him about Nostradamus.

However, tonight, none of that was going to matter; Snape had sent him all he needed to know about blocking evil spirits during Revamp Resurrections, and how to do one properly. It was surprising to know the Potions Master had taken notes on how Darius had restored Morty's corpse to its best state yet, but it was just what Harry needed for that night.

In the corner of Harry's small bedroom was an old bell bandolier that Darius had given him as an early birthday present, and a shovel he had stolen from Uncle Vernon's tool shed. He put his wand in his pocket and made sure that his Nemesarist's Ring was right-side up; he had already had to turn the ring upside-down to get one of his fellow Nemesarists to intervene when Uncle Vernon had been quite brutal. It had accidentally slipped in that position a couple of times, making Lycaon Fenrir (and the second time, Severus Snape) rather unhappy with the false alarm.

He fastened the bell bandolier around his waist, and grabbed the shovel's handle, then proceeded to open his door as quietly as possible. He knew his plan would be ruined if he woke up Dudley, Aunt Petunia, or Uncle Vernon…especially Uncle Vernon.

After he managed to leave his bedroom, Harry carefully walked down the staircase and toward the door. He noticed somebody had put a combination lock tightly around the doorknob, and the door was also locked. This didn't stop him, though.

"Alohomora," Harry whispered, pointing his wand at the keyhole. The lock fell to the floor, but surprisingly made no sound as it landed on the freshly-vacuumed carpet. Curious as to what time it was, Harry looked at his wrist watch; it was 2:30 a.m., very early in the morning but still late into the night.

He had spoken to nobody about what it was he planned to do, not even to Ron, Hermione, or anyone in Nemesarium. Nobody needed to know about his intentions until he had completed his macabre aspiration. As recently as six months ago, he would have never thought he would be purging himself so deeply into the Darkest form of magic known to man, but here he was, almost seventeen, leaving Privet Drive for a grisly—and rather disgusting—task. It would be life-changing, and he knew it. However, that wasn't going to stop him; nothing would.

After making it safely out of the house, Harry walked to the end of the block and into a churchyard. He had gotten Lydia to do a research of all the Surrey cemeteries, and he had been surprised to find that his parents were buried within walking distance, in a church cemetery.

'It's good luck that I won't have to go to the Highgate Cemetery until Darius takes the Advanced Necromancy class there for a special trip,' he thought to himself.

The bell bandolier was feeling rather heavy around his waist, but he knew that he would soon be needing it. The churchyard was rather small, and it didn't take Harry too long to find the graves of his parents. There they were—James and Lily Potter—only six feet below him, more than likely in Stage Three unless embalming had been practiced…then there was a chance that they might still be in Stage Two. However, Harry wasn't naïve enough to think even for a moment his parents would be pretty to look at down there.

"Darius," he whispered to himself, clutching the handle of the shovel in his hands. "Wish me luck." With the thought of seeing his mother and father again soon, he began to dig into the soft cemetery earth. "Thank you so much for showing me this magic…"

He continued to dig in each grave until he had uncovered two coffins.

"Levitus!" he whispered the incantation softly, and the two caskets came out of the holes and landed gently next to Harry on the fading green grass. It had begun to rain, and it was not only damp, but wet outside. The water had already soaked deeply into Harry's clothes.

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered, closing his eyes as he opened up both of the coffins. "No, wait; here goes everything…"

He pulled a small pocketknife out of his pocket, pricked one of his fingers, and then rubbed his blood around on his palms, just as Snape's notes had told him to do. The smell of the bodies was so putrid that Harry was guessing that his mother and father were indeed in Stage Three.

"Deuxius Mortata, Deuxius Durare," he chanted, and then rang the smallest bell on the bandolier, then the second largest, and then a couple of the medium-sized bells.

"Awake," he was choking on his words, "and return to me, James and Lily Potter…my mother and father…your time in this world is not yet over."

He put one hand in each coffin, and felt like he was going to be sick. The blood from his hands had gone to them, but feeling a cadaver was one of the worst sensations in Necromancy. After about a minute, he could feel hearts beating, and warmth coming from the reviving bodies. Soon, the nasty feeling was replaced by skin…Harry could feel the hands of his mother and father inside the coffins.

"And now it comes to this…" he muttered, and then took a deep breath. He opened up his mother's casket and noticed how beautiful she looked; she was practically alive, but there was no breath. He knew that the Kiss of Life was the final step. He leaned down, and kissed her, blowing a little bit of air into her mouth. Lily Potter had begun breathing, and was pretty much only sleeping.

"Mum," he whispered, and then went toward his father's coffin and repeated the same gesture. Harry managed to get the same results. "Dad…" With that, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. He knew that all he had to do now was wait…

The End

And so, on July 26, 2005, I conclude what I have worked on for a little over

a year and a half. With 728 pages on Microsoft Word, and 1727 pages in atrue book format, my rendition of how the Sixth Year of Harry Potter's education (contradictory to the recently-published Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince) comes to a close. For all of you, my loyal readers and Nemesarists, I wish each and every one of you a blessed and miraculous lifetime, and hope to see you in the future when I manage to either get something published or send out the sequel. This story has been a part of my life for almost nineteen months, and writing the ending gave me a feeling of joy and sorrow simultaneously. As I write this, my heart is pounding, and tears stream down my eyes, knowing that Harry Potter & The Crisis of Nemesarium was never meant to be. I hope you enjoyed the read.

-Professor Mortimer E. Skylarke

Curses & Rootwork

Hi everyone, Nita here. This is the end of the story, Harry Potter and the Crisis at Nemisarium. I really hope that you have enjoyed reading. I have tried to beta it as best as I could, and even though I know I missed a few things, I still hope you enjoyed the story. Please review and let Skylarke know how you liked or disliked the story. I know he plans on a sequel to this story, called Harry Potter and the Throne of Forgetfulness. If you paid attention to the last couple of chapters, then you already know what that is going to be!! LOL

Please review. It's the only way he's going to know if anyone has enjoyed this story. Skylarke has worked hard on this, and now that he's in college, he'll have even less time to write for fun...it's up to you, the readers, to let him know how he did!

Thanks for reading, and please email me directly with any questions or concerns! nitamantooth at comcast dot net

Ciao...NitaPotter