C. M. Black: Heart of a Lion

Chapter XIII: A lion's feast

Cassy and Neville had hurried out into the darkened corridor, sprinting down the marble staircases without bothering to hide under the cloak they had collected from the Devil's Snare chamber. They had not even wasted time ensuring Fluffy was asleep when they flew out of the trapdoor, instead opting to make a mad dash for the door. Growling and snapping followed, but they pinned it closed just in time.

They jumped down to the bottom of the last staircase when they came to a sudden halt upon spotting Professor Dumbledore in his buttercup yellow robes.

'Sir,' cried Cassy. 'You must get Harry!'

'Harry?' he repeated, slightly bewildered to see the pair. 'Whatever are you doing out of bed?'

'He's alone,' was all she said, staring at him imploringly.

The Headmaster's face grew grave and he passed them quickly, pulling his robes up as he ascended the stairs.

'Go to Madam Pomfrey – both of you.'

They watched him go, before Neville turned to Cassy and they began to walk. The both suddenly felt very tired, as if their legs were no longer willing to support them and their eyes sore and dry. The adrenalin that coursed through their veins had all but filtered out of their systems and the weight of what they had tried, and were still trying, to do was beginning to set in.

'What's going on? What happened?' shot Neville, staring down at Cassy intently.

'What do you remember?' she asked, not looking at him.

'Going to get the stone... we were on the chessboard,' he said.

'You got taken,' she mumbled quietly. She stared at him with a heavy sadness that he had never seen before and certainly never expected to see on Cassy's face. 'I should have prevented it. I knew you were nervous, I should have expected you to move when she took the other piece, but I didn't. I'm sorry, please forgive me.'

'What?' he asked dumbly. 'What do you mean?'

'The Queen took another piece and you stumbled when it shattered. It counted as our turn, so their knight moved and the horse hit you with its hooves.'

Cassy's eyebrows had furrowed, but Neville had to jog to see that. Her pace had picked up and he had lagged behind.

'I don't get it. Why are you apologising? That's my fault, I could have cost us the game.'

'I did not consider your feelings and it almost cost you your life!' She turned, rounding on him.

Neville halted, eyes widening. They suddenly softened and he placed his hands on her shoulders, insisting: 'It's not your fault. I'm... not as brave as you and Harry. I panicked. I should be able to take care of myself, not you, and you shouldn't have to worry about me... freaking out. I'm trying, Cassy. If I'm never in danger, I'll never learn, right?'

'I know and I know you re trying,' she muttered. His words did not squash all of her guilt, but they calmed her. 'Still, you're my friend, I would rather you not be in danger. I do not have many to lose, you see.'

Neville grinned and they turned to walk towards the hospital again.

'Nice to see your guilt doesn't kill your humour.'

'I am perfectly serious,' she insisted with a smile.

Neville just snorted and shook his head, soon wishing he had not as a wave of nausea hit him. Cassy reached out to grasp his arm, to keep him upright as he staggered. He placed a hand on his head, feeling the drying blood beneath his fingers, but did not comment. Instead he pressed on, 'What about Harry?'

Biting her lip, Cassy hesitated for a minute. 'He went on alone. There was only enough potion for one – the next task was a potion based one-' she clarified, catching Neville's confused expression from the corner of her eye, 'so it was decided I should check on you and get the Headmaster and Harry would go on.'

Neville paled. 'So he went on to face Snape and You-Know-Who alone?'

'There was not choice-'

'I'm not blaming you. You're blaming yourself,' he interrupted quickly. 'Harry chose to go on, didn't he?'

She ran a hand over her hair, although there was nothing to smooth as it was all tied back anyway. She bit her lip and kept her eyes trained forward. 'Yes and I trust him, but that does not mean I'm not worried,' she said quietly. Cassy sighed loudly, pushing open the double doors to the Hospital wing. 'I'm not used to being worried.'

Neville offered a small smile, one which she returned awkwardly.

'I thought we were past those smiles,' he laughed.

She gave a wider one, cocking her head to one side.

'Since when were you so mature?' she said, unable to help thinking their roles had been reversed as she had always comforted the nervous boy, not the other way around.

Neville grinned and hoisted himself onto one of the beds. 'Since I got hit in the head by a marble horse, apparently.'

'Marble horse?' came another voice.

They whipped around – far too fast, in Neville's case- to see Madam Pomfrey striding towards them, wrapping a white dressing gown around her as she did. 'Why are you two out of bed?Whatever do you – Mr. Longbottom, what happened to your face?'

'He got hit by a marble horse,' said Cassy airily, catching Neville's eye before he turned away to hide his smile.

Madam Pomfrey rounded on her with a scowl, but as she had no visible injuries, her attention was quickly diverted back to Neville. She lifted his chin up with one hand and pushed his blond hair back with the other.

'That's quite a cut, Longbottom, it's a wonder you're conscious.'

She did not ask what happened again, too absorbed in treating his injuries than finding out exactly how it had came about. No mercy was given to Neville as he winced or hissed as she tugged the skin or disinfected it with foul, sharp smelling liquid. She had finished cleaning and dressing the wound when the doors opened again and Professor Dumbledore came into view.

'Sir!' Cassy and Neville chorused. They spotted something in his arms, hanging like a dead weight in his arms at the same moment and cried 'Harry!' while rushing towards them both.

Madam Pomfrey pushed them back, hovering at his side as the Headmaster laid Harry on the nearest bed. His face was ashen and his hands greyed, covered in a light substance that Cassy thought she recognised. She did not dwell on it, however, as Harry's head lolled to the side and his shoulders sagged, completely limp.

'Albus, oh, what happened, Albus?' Madam Pomfrey muttered, waving her wand over Harry in various places across his body.

'The stone, I am afraid, was under threat tonight by none other than Voldemort himself.' Professor Dumbledore spoke gravely, his figure hunching slightly and the brilliant light that occupied his eyes was gone. For the first time since they had first seen him, he finally looked as frail and as withered as his age suggested he should be.

The woman blanched, turning to look at the other in utter horror. She remembered herself quickly though and returned to checking Harry.

'If young Harry here -and his friends- had not been so quick to defend it, I fear he may have succeeded tonight.'

Professor Dumbledore gazed at Cassy and Neville, who looked pale and tired, but did not show any signs of resting. They looked back at him, troubled and questioningly, waiting for him to continue, but he did not. Instead, he stared at them, as if only really taking in their appearance for the first time that night.

'I think it is best,' he said slowly, 'if the both of you spend the night here. Let me get you a sleeping draught each. I assume you keep them in the back room as always, Poppy?'

Madam Pomfrey muttered in confirmation, not lifting her eyes from Harry, allowing Professor Dumbledore to help himself. As he turned, Cassy called to him.

'Sir, what happened to the Stone? Is it safe?'

'Yes, yes, do not worry about that. Voldemort was unable to get it, Harry saw to that.'

'Will Harry be okay?' asked Neville. 'We won't sleep until we know he'll be fine.'

'Mr. Potter will live to see another day, do not worry about that,' he assured, but with little effect.

'We will not sleep until Madam Pomfrey is done with her treatment, no matter how long it takes,' insisted Cassy firmly, with Neville nodding by her side.

Professor Dumbledore looked between them and they expected him to reprimand them, but he merely smiled.

'Very well,' he said. 'Take a seat, I expect your feet will be aching.'

They both hoisted themselves onto a bed two down from Harry's, sitting side by side and watching Madam Pomfrey make notes into a scrap piece of parchment.

The scatching was only muffled by the shuffling of Professor Dumbledore as he travelled back from the store room. 'Here we are.' The pearly-white potions were given to them and remained clutched in their hands, but never reached their mouths. They both offered a quiet 'Thank-you'. Professor Dumbledore then seated himself next to them on the bed, folding him hand in his lap. 'What you three did was very brave, very foolish, perhaps, but so, so brave.'

'...In the forest, that night we had detention, Harry told us he saw Voldemort under the cloak. He just saw him in the forest and then it all made sense, the Stone and the troll attack. To stand by and let someone like that have an opportunity to gained immortality...well, we decided we would all rather die trying,' said Cassy, quietly. She avoided looking at them, already feeling the other's gaze upon her as soon as she opened her mouth.

'That is very noble, but your lives are not something to be thrown away easily, Miss Black.'

'My friends are all I really have, Sir. I would follow them to Hades and back, if I must.'

'And Harry would have gone without us, he would have gone no matter what he said. We had to go because he was right,' added Neville, 'and nobody would believe us, even though we knew we were right. But then... I think we would have gone even if he was wrong. It didn't seem right to just watch him go.'

They were not really sure what they were saying any more, content in spouting whatever came to mind and tumbling out thoughts and feelings they had never tried to put into words before. Yet, Headmaster Dumbledore did not seem to mind. He watched them with a smile, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

'There are men many times older than you, who are more clouded in judgement and call themselves wise,' he said. 'Harry is lucky to have you both. I wish things were as simple as you see them, but I am afraid I am far too old. However, once in a while, I suppose it would not hurt to try.'

He stood, still smiling and bid them good-night.

'Good-night, Sir,' they replied, watching him leave, before looking back to see Madam Pomfrey setting down a vale of blue liquid. She turned to them after loading up the pewter tray.

'Now, off to bed, both of you,' she ordered. Potter will be fine, probably just sore and confused when he wakes.'

They both slipped off the bed, Cassy moving one forward while Neville walked around to Harry's other side. Removing their shoes, downing the potions and ignoring the matron's tut, they settled into bed and drifted off as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

Cassy did not dream that night. When she awoke, the sun was beaming in through the large, arching windows, making the metal surfaces unbearably bright. She blinked several times, trying to ignore the glare from the metal bedstead and sat up, running a hand over the back of her hair, only to realise she had not taken it down before sleeping. With a sigh, she undid the high pony tail and quickly redid it, giving herself time to look around at the other occupants.

Harry was still in the same position he had been last night, appearing not to have moved at all in the night, whereas Neville was laying on his front, arm dangling over the edge. At the sight, Cassy smiled. She pulled out the long chain from under her school shirt and looked at the tiny clock face. They had missed breakfast by almost two hours.

She sighed and edged down to the foot of the bed. From there, she had a fair view out the main window to the grounds and -as it was- a fair view of the Quidditch game that was currently under-way.

'Oh dear,' she breathed, more amused than in genuine discontent, 'it seems we will not win the house cup after all. Gryffindor cannot win without their seeker.'

She turned to look at Harry and then back at the game. The distance was too far to make out any particular players, or even which team they were on, but she assumed the end most of the dots were on was the Gryffindor end. They were definitely losing.

There was a low, muffled sigh, signalling Neville was awake. He pushed his head up, eyes squinting and he looked around.

'Good-morning,' Cassy greeted.

'Morning.' He stretched, then raised one hand to his head, rubbing the back of it gently. 'My head's killing me. I know I got hit in the front, but why does the back hurt so bad?'

Cassy's eyes widened briefly, but Neville did not see.

'It must have been how you landed,' she said nonchalantly.

Neville nodded, accepting it easily. His fingers moved towards the front, running lightly over the bandages before settling them down into his lap. They sat in silence, occasionally hearing the roaring cheers from the Quidditch match, or the scraping of Madam Pomfrey's chair in the next room. Neither felt the need to talk, more than content to simply sit and think, to mull over the past day, the past year and everything that had happened. They thought of everything that lead up to this moment and Cassy was ashamed to say she was slightly pleased about it all.

Their thoughts were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey exiting her office with another tray of brightly coloured liquid. She placed them down on Harry's bedside table, before swooping around to Neville. With her wand lit with Lumos, she brought it to Neville's eyes.

'Your reactions are perfectly fine, you are free to go. Keep that bandage on for now, come and see me tomorrow and I will see whether it can be removed.' She then turned her back to him and focused on Harry.

Cassy and Neville left silently, wandering down the empty corridors and back up to an equally empty common room. They went up to their individual dormitories, showering and changing into other clothing, then returning to sit in front of the unlit fireplace.

'I'm hungry,' Neville whined, placing a hand over his stomach. They had not eaten much the previous dinner, too wound up to try and they were feeling it now.

'As am I, but we will have to wait for lunch. And even then, lunch is served late on Quidditch days.'

Neville groaned and flung his head back. 'I wish we could just go the the kitchens ourselves.'

Cassy's eyes lit up, thinking back to the Marauder's map.

Surely, if that shows everywhere and everyone, it must show the kitchens, she thought, mentally logging a need to speak to Fred and George next year about borrowing it. A smirk rose to her lips as she knew it would not be that simple, but she was rather looking forward to the challenge.

Time passed slowly and it seemed like forever before the Gryffindors were traipsing back into the common room. There was no cheering and no roars of victory as there had been all year because without their seeker, they stood no chance. Ravenclaw had won easily with the points awarded for catching the Snitch and with that loss also came the loss of the house cup and any chance Gryffindor had of overtaking Slytherin.

'We were so close,' Dean moaned as he collapsed beside Cassy on the sofa. 'If we had just won this game then we would have won the House cup and beaten them.'

'Yeah, what happened to you all anyway? We were told you were all in the hospital wing,' Finnigan said, eyeing the pair curiously.

'We cannot possibly say,' said Cassy dismissively. 'It is not our place to.'

'Making it a secret only makes it worse, you know. There are rumours going around that you went into the Forbidden corridor and got mauled by a monster,' he joked.

'No quite,' she replied, amused. It was close enough, though and too close for them to feel comfortable continuing it. 'How was the game exactly? Was it close before the Snitch was caught or not?'

The first years who were present launched into a story of the game, dramatically recalling each movement the team made and commenting feverishly on each supposed uncalled foul the Ravenclaw team had made. Through it, Cassy and Neville allowed themselves to relax and engage, enjoying the return to normality and the chance to disengage from their thoughts.

Cassy and Neville visited Harry twice a day over the next two days he was unconscious. Many others had too, for he had gathered a large pile of sweets at the foot of his bed and, temporarily, a toilet seat, from well wishers and fans.

The doors were closed and would remain closed until the Headmaster was finished with his visit, one Cassy was not pleased about being ejected for. They waited patiently, however, for the better part of half an hour before the doors opened again and he emerged, smiling gently at them both.

'Ah, still here I see. Mr. Potter is awake now, although, I am not sure if Madam Pomfrey will allow you to see him. He needs rest.'

'We won't be a bother,' insisted Neville. 'We just want to see him.'

Professor Dumbledore smiled again and waved as he wordlessly continued down the corridor.

It was another five minutes before Madam Pomfrey stuck her head around the door.

'Five minutes!' she said. 'That's all.' They pushed past her, ignoring the grunt of displeasure she gave before turning to shut the door.

'Harry!' they chorused, running up to his bedside and grinding to a sudden halt before they tipped straight over it.

'Hey,' he grinned back.

He was still lying down, most likely under strict orders from the matron, looking slightly pale, but considerably better than he had when he had been brought in.

'How are you feeling?' asked Cassy.

'All right,' he smiled then looked at Neville. 'How's the head?'

'All right,' he mimicked, 'what's annoying is that it hurts at the front and the back.' As Neville rubbed his head, Harry's eyebrows rose. 'It must have been where I fell after being hit. It left a big bump.'

Harry opened his mouth in confusion, but quickly caught Cassy shaking her head and closed it again, instead offering a simple, 'Well, that's good then.'

Neville smiled and walked towards the end of Harry's bed to admire his gift collection, noting that several more boxes had been added since their last visit.

'Help yourself,' he said, before turning to Cassy, who lent in close. 'He landed on his side.'

'Accidents happen,' she whispered back.

Another grin broke out onto Harry's face. 'You dropped him, didn't you?'

'Of course not,' she replied tartly and straightened up, looking away with a small smile.

Harry laughed and shook his head.

Looking up at the sound, Neville rejoined, narrowing his eyes as they dismissed his query. As he and Cassy took seats at the end of Harry's bed, Neville opted to broach the subject of Quidditch and Harry's missed game.

'We won the Quidditch cup, we just lost the house cup,' he summed up.

Harry looked slightly irritated, but pleased all the same for they still half broke Slytherin's monopoly on victories. His smile slipped slightly as he looked between them.

'I've got to tell you what happened at the end,' he said quietly, aware they had already been with him far too long and that Madam Pomfrey could arrive at any moment to escort them out. 'It wasn't Snape, it was Quirrell. We've been suspecting the wrong person all the time.'

'Really?' gasped Neville. 'But... he seems so...'

'I know,' Harry said. 'It was all an act. The reason he always wears the turban is because under it is Voldemort's face.'

'What?' Neville cried, interrupting again and the look on Cassy's face said she was about to as well.

'Yeah, I know, just let me explain everything, all right? He unravelled the turban and Voldemort was latched onto the back of his head.

Quirrell was trying to get the Stone from the Mirror of Erised – which is where is had been moved to at Christmas. That was the final task. However, Voldemort told him to use me, and I realised something. The mirror shows you what you want more than anything and at that moment, I wanted nothing more that to find the Stone. So, I knew it would show me were it was hidden and it did. I saw myself placing it into my pocket and when I touched it... it was there. I got the Stone from the mirror, because I wanted it, but I didn't want to use it.

Voldemort realised and attacked me... but something happened when Quirrell touched me... he began to burn.'

'Burn?' muttered Cassy, connecting the dots in her mind. 'Literally burn?'

'Yeah, when he touched me, he turned to ash.'

That explains why he was covered in ash when he entered, Cassy thought, nodding at Harry.

'I grabbed his face trying to get him off me and I just... blacked out. Then I woke up here.'

'I'm glad you're alive, mate,' said Neville after a few moments of silence. He clapped Harry on the shoulder, earning a smile in response.

'Yeah, everything turned out all right, didn't it?' said Harry, grinning tiredly.

'If you exclude the part about almost dying, it had been a rather good year,' Cassy said, looking down at the bedsheets. It was true, to her at least, that the year had been far better than she had expected it to be. She had made two good friends and enjoyed her subjects well enough. Although she had lost Draco to Slytherin and Ronald disliked her as much as she did him, she regretted little and was almost saddened by its ending. She mentally dismissed that, for there was always next year and hopefully there would be less danger during that one.

'Yeah,' Harry said again, laughing. 'It has.'

The door to the office burst open and Madam Pomfrey came bustling out, shooing them with her hands, saying, 'Out, out. I gave you twenty minutes, far longer than I should have. Out now.'

They smiled, bidding Harry a quick farewell and forcing him to promise to meet them at the feast before allowing themselves to be pushed out of the room.

True to his word, Harry was seated between Cassy and Neville the next evening. They had gone to collect him earlier and managed to sneak him in with little fuss, although once seated, half of their house wanted to speak to him upon seeing him and it took a little longer than normal to quieten the boisterous table that evening.

Large, silver banners with curling, green serpents on them hung from the ceiling, four rows, one above each table and a giant one that hung behind the staff table were decorative symbols for Slytherin's victory. The house occupants themselves looked haughtier than usual, smirking to each other and to any other student that caught their eye, particularly Draco, as he looked over to where the three sat.

Cassy paid him no mind, humouring him with a small smile before turning back to the conversation Fred Weasley was having with them. However, she knew the exact scowl Draco would be wearing at that moment and she allowed her smile to broaden a little farther.

When Professor Dumbledore arrived, the hall quietened almost instantly, apart for several Gryffindor's who were still trying to talk to Harry and had to be shushed again. The Headmaster stood at the front of the room and clapped his hands together, beaming around the room.

'Another year gone already,' he said, loudly. 'I hope you have all had a fantastic year, where once again we say hello to a fresh batch of keen witches and wizards, and a sad good-bye to a group of brilliant young men and women. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.' He smiled at the seventh years on each table, many of them grinning back.

'Now,' he continued, 'we must move onto the results of the house cup. The points stand, as such, like this: in fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two points; third, Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty-six; Gryffindor with four hundred and finally, Slytherin, with four hundred and seventy-two points.'

A thunderous applause erupted from the Slytherin table, even though they knew they had a certain victory the moment Gryffindor lost the Quidditch match.

Harry slumped slightly upon seeing Draco banging his goblet onto the table in pure delight.

'Yes, well done Slytherin, well done. However,' Professor Dumbledore shouted over the roars, 'recent events must be accounted for and so, rewarded for.'

The smiles fell from the Slytherin's faces and many eyes swung to Harry.

'Some last minute points... Firstly, to Mr. Neville Longbottom, for utilising ones strengths, even when you don't believe you have any to aid your friends is a great asset, I award you forty points.'

The roar was deafening as half the table realised they had the potential to overtake Slytherin if they were to be awarded thirty-two more points. Most of them did not care where they came from, so long as they won.

'Secondly-' he called, silencing the room instantly, 'a cool mind can be used to slay your enemies, while a fiery heart can protect your friends, together they are truly formidable. For demonstrating such a notion, fifty points are awarded to Miss Cassiopeia Black.'

There was another applause, the house overwhelmed to be in a firm lead and all round pleased just to beat Slytherin. House-mates turned to her as well, clapping and shouting encouragement that she could not make out clearly through all the noise.

Cassy did not look over to Draco, although she wished to return the expression he had given only moments ago. She simply smiled at those near her and thanked them for their applause.

'Finally, to Mr. Harry Potter. For knowing right from wrong is simply not enough and having the nerve and courage to do something about injustice is something far too many people lack. So, I award you sixty points.'

'We won!' the table cheered, signalling the final points as an opportunity to celebrate. Dimly, Professor Dumbledore could be heard offering a change of decoration, which only made them cheer louder as the banners changed to gold and red, officially breaking Slytherin's winning streak. The loss was great for Draco, it seemed, as he wore an expression of utter devastation, which Harry had no problem celebrating over.

He grinned at Cassy and Neville, who beamed back at him as they tucked into dinner well earnt. The untameable atmosphere within Gryffindor stayed with the house the morning following, even when exam results were handed out. Many students were still too pleased about winning, to really feel disheartened by their results and breakfast turned out to be a follow on from the previous evening – if just to have one last jab at the Slytherin's before term ended.

'I don't understand how scores like that are even possible,' Neville said to Harry as they looked over Cassy's results.

'I didn't think you could get a hundred and twenty percent on a test,' mused Harry with raised eyebrows.

He had done well, far away from failing any subject, including Potions and History, which he was both delighted and astounded by. His Defence results were gleaming and he showed a certain element for Charms.

Neville's were better than he had expected. Studying with Cassy and Harry had certainly helped him and although he still did poorly in Potions, he excelled in Herbology enough to make up for it and his fear of repeating a year was proved pointless.

They passed the paper back to Cassy, who folded it into her skirt pocket before moving to step onto the train. She was halted by a familiar voice.

'Wait! Yeh three weren't trying to leave without sayin' good-bye, were yeh?'

'Hagrid,' Harry said warmly. 'Thank-you for the photo-album, I loved it.'

Cassy and Neville exchanged questioning looked behind his back.

'I'm glad,' beamed Hagrid. 'That's kind of why I'm here, actually. I thought yeh might want another picture to add to yer album.' He pulled out a camera from one of his many coat pockets and held it up to eye level. With his other hand, he motioned for them to move. 'C'mon, get closer now. Can't fit yer all in otherwise.'

The three looked at each other, huddling together and smiling widely into the lens. With a brilliant flash, the photograph was taken and a small, white square was ejected from the camera. Hagrid waved it back and forth for a moment in his hands, then looked at it, smiling.

'There yeh go,' he said, handing it to Harry. 'A nice picture, if I do say so myself.'

They looked down, seeing themselves smiling back up. Harry was wedged in the middle, with Cassy on his right and the taller form of Neville on his left. Harry looked back up at Hagrid.

'Thanks, it's brilliant.'

He nodded, blushing slightly as he waved towards the train, mumbling, 'Go on, the train'll be leavin' without yeh in a minute.'

Neville hopped on and Cassy followed him, waiting in the doorway as Harry hesitated, running back to hug Hagrid around the waist and thanked him again. They pulled the door shut, waving to him from the window as the Hogwarts express began to pull away. Once he was out of sight, they moved to their compartment that had been reserved by their luggage and copious amounts of sweets.

Harry stood on his seat, reaching into his trunk and pulling out a white book. He jumped down and motioned for Cassy to sit beside him as he moved closer to Neville, book in his lap. They spent the train ride looking through the album, pointing to various people and smiling as they waved and pulled faces back at them. Harry showed them his parents, but they were easy to spot, the resemblance too high for them not to be.

Lily Potter was a beautiful woman, with dark, auburn hair and bright green eyes, Harry's eyes, and a smile that resembled his in many ways. His hair was James Potter's, messy and thick. Neville quickly pointed out the poor eyesight he had also inherited, upon seeing his father's round framed glasses.

At the back of the book, after the photographs of his parents dancing and laughing together, of their wedding and their honeymoon, he placed the photograph of Cassy, Neville and himself. On the page opposite was an old one of Lily, James and him at a year old, centre and smiling.

DONE! With Year One, anyway. The next year should begin next week or the week following. It will be under a new story - "CMBlack: Tongue of a Snake". So please watch out for that.

Thank-you for taking the time to read my story so far. I hope you'll like the rest of it! The next year should derail from the plot a little, but please give it a chance and tell me what you think.