The days before the Yule Ball were marked by excitement and furore which dominated the students and teachers alike. However, Theo could hardly see the appeal of the event. Sure, girls would look even prettier and guys would look somewhat decent for a change. All in all, free eye candy... Perhaps if he was any other teenager, he would be anticipating the night, but he was not a normal teenager. He was Theodore Nott, sole heir to the Nott family and a member of the Hogwarts Court. He was surrounded by good-looking people on a daily basis, so he developed some kind of immunity against beauty... Unlike his less evolved peers.

Theo glared at the Ravenclaw who was eyeing Flora. Without hesitation, he placed an arm around the girl's shoulder and the other student looked away at last. Flora did not even react to the contact, continuing her animated chat with Fred. He could always join in, but all the potions, phases, colours and Morgana knows what else made his head ache.

Theo looked to the front, and his neutral expression turned into a pronounced frown.

As always, Harry was busy reviewing a folder while his food remained untouched. Ah, this was almost the norm whenever possible problems were involved. Unfortunately, problems seemed to pour in every single year.

Harry was an enigma - of that, Theo held no doubt. However, there were a few simple things to unveil about the boy as long as one paid enough attention.

Harry always looked impeccable, annoyingly so, but if you paid attention, one could see the slight bags under his eyes and the ever-present empty vial of navitas potion resting on his night table. Everyone in the Court knew Harry Potter slept the bare minimum to keep functioning.

No matter how many times Theo tried to broach the subject, Harry would pay him no mind. "There are important matters that I need to take care of." That was the answer he was always given. The best he could do was try to help and hope that the young Potter didn't burn out before his time.

Another detail few noticed about Harry was, to Theo, as obvious as the glaring sun: his eating habits. Few people were aware of this, but one of your first relationships is with food. Your preferences and habits in that area gave away tons of information about a person. Knowing this, Theo paid special attention to the boy when their friendship began. The first thing he noted was that Harry had impeccable manners, but although his movements were graceful, there were certain occasions in the past where he hesitated slightly when manipulating a utensil. Harry Potter did not have practice, but he had the knowledge. This was enough for Theo to know that all those fantastic tales about Harry's adventures were that exactly - unrealistic stories.

Unlike most children, Harry did not enjoy sweets and had certain abhorrence for meat. He also consumed only the necessary, never placing a single spoonful that he wouldn't eat on his plate. Theo immediately knew his only friend had no access or little access to them, because their taste was more acquired than innate. "A deprived childhood," Theo concluded. Sometimes, being able to see all this was more of a curse because he would rather not know his only friend at the time went through such hardships despite his tender age.

Through the years, Theo managed to compile data about Harry Potter. Was it enough to know him? Of course not. But it was enough to know about him, and that was better than nothing. The Court's King used language as a barrier. He was always formal and eloquent, only relaxing his speech patterns when Elizabeth was present. Also, Harry tended to have unusual shifts of moods. One moment he could be playful and the next he would stop speaking with you, his eyes focused on something you couldn't see.

Perhaps the most worrying of Harry's habits were his coping mechanisms. They began training during their first year, but Harry pushed himself beyond his limits, harming himself in the process. It was nothing obvious, but Theo could notice the slight limps or sharp breath intakes, followed by the relieved sigh when the boy's magic healed his body. Physical exercise turned into Harry's outlet and Theo didn't know whether he should be relieved that his friend hadn't found a more destructive hobby, or worried, because no one else seemed to notice how Harry was hurting himself.

Yet another coping mechanism Theo began to loathe with vehemence was Harry's way of dealing with stress. The boy would bury himself in even more work in an effort to feel in control. This was perhaps the most worrying habit Harry had. During these times, the bags under his eyes would be more pronounced and he would barely eat spoonfuls of food, even after his friends almost forced him to do so. Also, Harry flinched at the slightest noise, acting almost like a paranoid war veteran instead of the student he was.

However, there was a single detail that worried Theo the most. Harry's habits worsened after the summer. To be precise, after visited Manager Ragnok and the real identity of Voldemort was unveiled. Theo had multiple theories on how this discovery had affected his friend, but without the boy's confirmation, they would remain theories.

During the World Cup, Harry was almost relaxed after his walk with the princess. Once again, he had a plethora of theories, but without Harry's confirmation, he only had theories...

"Ouch! What's your problem?!" Theo hissed at Neville, nursing his tender arm.

"You weren't listening," was Neville's simple response. "You should thank me, Daphne offered to snap you out of your trance herself." This last part was said in a whisper and Theo nodded, not thankful, but a bit relieved.

"We were talking about Yule," Hestia offered.

"Are you also obsessed about the blasted ball?" Theo almost groaned

"Nope, but we're curious," George exclaimed as a devilish smirk appeared on his lips. "We're betting on who will take who as dates to the ball."

"What are the pools again?" asked Adrian while frowning at the notebook that he was working on.

"Flitwick will take Sprout, Snape will ask Kowalski but will be rejected, and Kowalski will end up going with Mister Albee or some other handsome bloke," Fred provided, smirking at his brother.

"I wouldn't be so sure about the last one," Daphne muttered, looking thoughtful. "When I went to Hogsmeade last Sunday, she was eating with Sirius' friend."

"Lupin? Are you sure?" Draco asked, looking doubtful, though a slight smirk stretched his lips.

"Of course, they had tons of books on their table... I think Lupin was helping Professor Kowalski with her classes, so stop imagining things," Daphne muttered, then shrugged and kept eating.

"You are no fun," Draco huffed. "Whatever. Who do you think will take who? No, Luna, you're not allowed to answer," he said, making the girl frown at him.

"Honestly? Who cares?" Cedric said and raised his hands when the blond was about to complain. "Hear me out. We already know who the champions are going with, mainly because we're the champions. No one cares about Valerie, and Iwan invited our lovely Daphne," he explained, ignoring the stink eye that the 'lovely' girl was giving him. "All the people of interest are in our group, so who cares about the others?"

"How did Cho take the news?" Justin asked the Hufflepuff prefect.

"Not sure and don't care. I had a crush on her last year, until the entire bullying thing. Then, we barely shared two words. We were never really friends, just flirted around a bit. I doubt she cares either way."

"How did your housemates take the news?" Fleur asked, looking at Neville.

"Some older guys are trying to incinerate me through glares and others have a sudden interest in being my friends," the Gryffindor boy answered, smiling at his date for the ball. "To be honest, Davies is the one we should worry about."

"The captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?"

"That one. He's been looking at me with murder in his eyes... Maybe he was hoping to be Fleur's date," Neville commented, smiling at the French girl.

"That... that... enculé has no opportunities with me, in this life or the next!" announced a scowling Fleur. Her loud declaration was enough to break Harry's trance, never mind the fact he was sitting beside her.

"Do I want to know what poor soul you're insulting in such a way?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Davies."

"And who's that?"

"The Ravenclaw who believes all girls are in love with him," Theo provided for his blissfully ignorant friend. Seeing Harry's confusion at the description he added, "Another simpleton."

Harry only nodded and went back to his work, much to Theo's frustration. Before he could argue, though, a tired Victor arrived at the table, collapsing at the nearest empty place.

"I guess Professor Kowalski's class was meant for last-minute practice before the holidays," Luna commented, handing the tired male a glass of water, which he took gratefully.

"Torture. That is what it was," Viktor groaned.

"We have classes with her after lunch, so I would appreciate it if you told us nothing of the torture that awaits," Draco said, a fake smile placed on his face.

"You will be surprised at what she will teach you today."

"Whatever... You never told us who you're taking to the ball," Draco commented as his lips twisted in a mischievous smirk.

"If I tell you now, you will have to organize my funeral," Viktor deadpanned.

"But we need to know," Hestia whimpered, giving the male her best puppy-eyes.

"And I need to survive," he answered, imitating the girl.

"I bet it's a girl from your school," Adrian said.

"It could also be a boy," Justin added, looking thoughtful.

"As long as it's human or humanoid enough, who cares?" asked Daphne, rubbing her temples.

"We do!" Fred protested.

"We have bets to run, woman!" the other Weasley agreed.

During their banter, they missed how Luna winked at Viktor and the mischief shining in both of their eyes throughout the meal.

Harry ignored his friends' playful banter in favour of all the documents he had to review. The Yule Holidays were approaching fast and there were still matters to be sorted.

The changes in the school would be taking place soon, though he had to wait until the next term for all his conditions to be implemented. Nevertheless, the school was going to change for the better... Thinking about it, he didn't even know why he was doing so much to improve an almost hopeless place instead of changing institutions. Maybe because of his friends, or because of the trust that his House placed in him, or maybe because Hogwarts chose him as her protector. Either way, he saw it as his duty to better the castle.

There were a few times where Harry wondered what would happen had he not decided to emulate his mother. Would his life be easier? Perhaps. Maybe then his only worries would be school and his sister. Yet, he could not imagine that kind of life being fulfilling. He lived for the challenges. Otherwise, his existence would be quite pointless.

He looked up from his papers when he felt a burning glare on him. No one was looking at him, but his memory evoked blazing blue eyes, glaring at him. With a sigh, he relented and took a few bites of his food, not really savouring it. For some reason, he was never able to enjoy food while he was focused on other things. Maybe his brain could only focus on one thing at the time and his magic took care of the physical aspect. Or perhaps it was another curious habit that followed him.

"Let's go, we have Defence," Harry announced when he watched Professor Kowalski and her assistant leave the hall.

Followed by many groans, some chuckles, and the ever-present gaze of the student body, the group exited the great hall.

"You look tired," he told Daphne, noticing the bags under her eyes.

"Look who's talking," she answered, directing a half-hearted scowl at him. "I'm beginning to deal with my family matters with the help of Miss Blair... I don't know how you do it," she whispered, rubbing her temples.

"They key is accepting sleep can always come later," Harry joked, but placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her through the corridors while she closed her eyes.

"I really admire you. It hasn't been a week and I'm ready to keel over."

"You must be really tired if you're admitting that in broad daylight."

"Shush, you," she muttered, poking his side.

"Look over there; those Aurors are inspecting the moving stairs," Theo told the group, gesturing towards the red clad officials and a few more casually dressed people.

"Hopefully they get to fix them," Neville commented, frowning at the stairs. "Aside from us, all the students have problems with them."

"Yeah, especially the firsties," Theo agreed.

"Wait a minute. The Aurors are inspecting the whole school, right?" Blaise muttered as his eyes widened in alarm.

"What's the problem with that?" Neville asked, nearing his friend.

"That they are inspecting the school! What if they find the rooms?" the dark-skinned boy hissed, urging his friends to understand his dilemma.

The group went still. Daphne woke from her sleepy state and Draco from his food-induced trance, but before anyone could panic, Harry spoke.

"The castle won't allow them to," he said, looking around for any possible eavesdroppers. Satisfied with his search, he continued, "Hogwarts' magic may be unstable, but her will to keep those rooms hidden is strong. We would have never been able to find them had the castle not accepted us as her protectors. There's no need to worry."

Harry offered a weak smile to his friends and kept walking towards their next class.

Lately, his lack of sleep began getting to him. Maybe he should enjoy a full night of sleep for a change. "As if!" The cynical voice in his brain reminded him of how hard it was to fall sleep, worsening significantly whenever he was busy. Sleep deprivation was nothing new, yet it still managed to be annoying.

So lost in his thoughts he was, that Harry did not notice that they arrived at the Defence classroom, with Neville guiding him to their usual place. Professor Kowalski was having a murmured conversation with Mister Albee; both were frowning at the notes on the desk. The door was abruptly closed when the class began. Fortunately, all the students knew better than to arrive late.

"Good evening," the woman greeted. Her face was even more stoic than usual, which put the students on edge. "For months, I wanted to teach you this lesson, but I was given permission to do so only a week ago. As we know, these are not easy times. A group of criminal extremists are waiting to cause havoc, guided by the terrorist Voldemort. They are the reason for today's lesson. First of all, who can tell me who Voldemort is and how he rose to power... Yes, Miss Granger?"

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named identity is unknown," the girl answered in a rushed breath, looking at the stoic woman. "The first wizarding war began in the seventies. He recruited dark creatures and they took everyone by surprise. The government wasn't ready to react and that's why he had the upper hand from the beginning."

"Your answer is book perfect, Miss Granger. However, there is a reason why this subject has no particular guide book," Mister Albee told the girl in the gentlest tone he could manage. "Most books are biased by the author and history is written by the victors, never forget this."

"Indeed," Kowalski agreed, "Voldemort never recruited dark creatures. He recruited the people British society shunned, promising them equity," the woman's announcement made many gasps, but she ignored the reaction.

"A dark creature, by the Ministry's definition, is a creature whose nature is to harm mages. By the ICW standardized definition, a dark creature is the one that has an affinity for the plane of shadows, that being its natural habitat. There is an obvious difference, but we're not going to discuss that theme during this class," Mister Albee explained.

"To answer my own question: Voldemort is a simple man whose name is almost forgotten. Had he nothing to lose, he wouldn't have left his life behind. He rose to power by promising equal rights to the outcast members of society, by promising superiority to the power hungry, and by making people believe that he was unbeatable. There is another factor that contributed to his rise; do any of you have any idea of what it may be? Miss Granger?" the woman nodded after noticing no one else wanted to answer.

"He had many powerful followers and the element of surprise."

"Wrong and right. In the beginning, he barely had two dozen followers. They would have been easily subdued by Aurors had it not been for this detail. Does anyone have any ideas?" The teacher waited a few moments before nodding at Daphne, "Miss Greengrass, if you would."

"He used the unforgivable curses."

"That's right. Now let me ask you, how did this give Voldemort an advantage?"

The adults gave the students time to think, but Mister Albee signalled a Gryffindor student when the boy seemed to have realized what the answer was.

"Do you have any idea, Mister Thomas? Your analyses tend to be quite good."

After taking a deep breath, the boy answered. "Aurors weren't allowed to use Unforgivables and there's no magical shield against them, so they were more worried about dodging and protecting themselves than attacking."

"Excellent, five points to Gryffindor!"

"Now, can anyone tell me what the three Unforgivables are and why they are classified as such?" Professor Kowalski asked.

Harry's lethargy disappeared as the class advanced. Despite the teachers looking more serious than usual, he could tell how eager they were to teach this lesson. Harry observed with distaste the students who flinched at Voldemort's name and, with certain curiosity, those students who seemed fascinated with the topic. The bushy-haired girl's efforts to make the professor call her name grabbed Harry's attention as well, and he wondered what need the girl had to prove her knowledge. Maybe she loved the attention. How could he blame her? Years ago, he did too. Although, he would have never sacrificed his image the same way the girl did.

"Mister Longbottom," the teacher called when Neville raised his hand.

"The cruciatus, the imperius, and the killing curse."

"Excellent! Can you tell me why they were outlawed, Mister Weasley?"

The boy in question looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but his eyes adopted a determined look once Professor Kowalski encouraged him with a slight smile.

"I read a book that said it was because the people abused its use during the dark ages... I... My oldest brother is a curse breaker, and... Well, according to him the reason was different," he answered, his face contorted in a strange way and his ears turned red at the attention he was receiving.

"Go ahead, Mister Weasley," Mister Albee encouraged his student.

"Well, he said it was because not every wizard can use the curses and the Minister of that time was afraid to be removed from power."

"Your brother is right," Isabelle nodded. "That is the real reason why they were deemed illegal, along with a few technicalities. Five points, Mister Weasley."

"But they're dark magic, that's why they were outlawed," protested a Gryffindor girl whose name Harry was unable to remember... It had something to do with colours or maybe it was flowers?

"Actually Miss Brown, we don't know what branch of magic they belong to. According to the official reasons the ICW gave after the Global Wizarding war in order to make the Unforgivables illegal on a worldwide scale, only the cruciatus is dark in nature, the others are pretty neutral. To explain myself better, the Imperius was banned because it robs someone of their free will, which is a human right. Likewise, the killing curse violates the right to life that every human has," Mister Albee told the girl.

"But the Unforgivables are only able to be cast by evil mages," the Gryffindor protested.

"All Aurors are required to learn the three curses before being let out into the field, no exceptions. The bad reputations of these spells came from their misuse."

"This is what we wished to discuss today," the woman said. With a wave of her wand, papers flew across the classroom towards each student's desk. "I compiled this information through different sources along with the help of Auror Moody and the consent of Minister Bones.

"According to different records, the imperius was created by the chief of a wizarding community centuries ago to transport prisoners. Later on, its use was popularized by Alfred the Strange, a moron wanting to be a Dark Lord. The exact roots of the cruciatus are unknown; some believe the Romans created it, others blame the northern Vandals. In any case, it was first popularized by Parvus before the fall of the Roman Empire. Later on, it was popularized in Britain by Motto the Inadequate. The killing curse, however, has the most curious origin... can anyone tell me what Avada Kedavra means? Yes, Miss Patil."

"Abracadabra means I will create as I speak. Avada Kedavra is its direct opposite. It means I will destroy as I speak."

"Indeed... I know most of you have been told that this curse was created by dark mages during the dark ages. They're wrong. Does anyone have any theory? Mister Malfoy."

"I read in one of my ancestor's diaries that isn't the original incantation, am I right?"

"You are," the woman nodded, "can you tell us what else you read?"

"Extinguo misericordeae. Kill for mercy," Draco announced, looking at the adults. "First, this spell was created to kill different animals without damaging the leather or fur. Then, merchants began using it when their horses too hurt during a trip, in order not to prolong their suffering."

"Five points to Slytherin," the woman announced. "Your information is right, anything else you can tell us?"

"My ancestor's youngest child was killed with this curse when some Dark Lord popularized it. All I know is he did his best to outlaw it."

"Rodin the Bald. He's the one who began misusing this spell. However, he changed the incantation. Never forget that words have power and intent is the real force behind any spell. This spell was meant to kill for mercy, not for pleasure. Therefore, many times, it didn't work, and magical shields could block it. In that way, the incantation morphed to what we know today as Avada Kedavra," Mister Albee explained.

"As you can see, none of these spells have an evil root. What made people believe they are dark, is the misuse and the intent behind them," Professor Kowalski explained. Pointing her wand at the blackboard, where different charms began to appear. "Magic is guided by intent, as simple as that. Can anyone give me an example of how using one of these curses would end up being beneficial?"

The silence seemed to stretch for far too long. The students were either reluctant to answer or uninterested on the answer, the latter being Harry's case. At last, someone spoke.

"My da is a Muggle, so I lived most of my life in the Muggle world," a scruffy Gryffindor boy began explaining as his skin acquired a chalky tone. "Muggles have this cruel side... When I was young, my da and I went to the forest... We found a skinned fox that was still alive. Da took pity on it and killed it. The killing curse would have been much kinder for the animal."

Harry observed the boy. There was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, his fists were clenched, and his eyes unfocused. The image reminded him of his past. The first time he realized that humans were the scariest monsters. Perhaps he should take pity on the boy, but Harry couldn't bring himself to care. The only thought that ran through his mind was whether Elizabeth would one day wear the same expression.

"That's an excellent example, Mister Finnegan, and its original purpose," the woman agreed. Her expression was much softer while speaking to the boy. "You may not know this, but the Imperius was used to treat patients that had a certain addiction to different potions. However, this practice was discontinued when the Healers realized the patients got addicted to being under the curse instead."

"How is that possible?" a Slytherin girl that had particularly broad shoulders asked.

"Well, that's harder to explain. I doubt many of you heard about neurotransmitters," Mister Albee said and grimaced at the confused expressions that most of the class gave him. "Mister Potter, do you have any idea of what they are?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the pleading look the man was giving him and acquiesced with a sigh. "They are endogenous chemicals that enable neurotransmission." The boy felt an unnatural urge to face palm at the blank expressions he received from his classmates, but decided to try again. "The molecules used by the nervous system to transmit messages between neurons, or from neurons to muscles."

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to remain calm. Many dared to look at him as if he was spurting nonsense. The nerve! Professor Kowalski had a glint in her eyes that made Harry feel suspicious and Mister Albee looked quite satisfied with himself.

"How do you know that?" the bushy-haired Gryffindor demanded, annoying him even further.

"School," Harry stated. His tone implied how ridiculous the question was.

Mister Albee decided to intervene before an argument began. "That was the correct, if a bit too technical answer. Going back to the theme, the Imperius makes you feel happy, extremely so. People get addicted to the feeling and face violent after-effects when they're lucid once again... How to put this? It's like if a person was doused with cheering potions every two hours for three months, what would happen then?"

"The person would be really happy for three months, but then he would barely be a person," the younger brother of the twins answered, his jaw remained slack at the surprise. "Bloody hell..."

"Then we have the cruciatus," Isabelle said, "Although there are few cases of long-term exposure, the evidence is clear. It's able to break the mind, leaving the victim with permanent damage. The process and after-effects are nothing you will be able to understand unless you're interested in becoming Healers. At last, we have the killing curse. Despite it having the worst reputation, it still may be the most merciful one. After all, it grants immediate death and, many times, that's kind compared to the alternative."

For a brief moment, the woman looked far too old. As if she had seen too much and held knowledge she did not wish to possess. The moment was broken when Kowalski's eyes focused on her class once again.

"In summary, the Unforgivables are simple spells people hail as the most powerful and evil when they are not. They are the result of ignorance spread. I'll give you a simple example, what is levicorpus used for?" the woman asked.

"Lifting a body," muttered a confused dark-skinned girl.

"Right, now tell me. Is it entirely harmless? I can cast it on any unsuspecting person and then cancel the spell when they are high enough," professor Kowalski explained, making many gasp. "Does anyone have any examples? Miss Patil."

"I don't know if this counts, but in India, Healers use the blood boiling curse on people who received bites of venomous animals, though only a specialist is allowed to cast it."

"An excellent example indeed. It shows that every spell requires control and the intent for it to work. That will be your homework for the holidays. I want each of you to write five ways in which different curses can be beneficial and five ways in which apparently harmless charms can be misused," Mister Albee said, making more than one groan.

"Now, onto the practice for the day," Professor Kowalski announced. "As we're discussing control, we're going to practice each charm that you've learnt so far. Let's see how much control of each spell you have and how much you need to improve. Come on!"

The students were led to the practice room, where different objects were waiting. Mister Albee placed each student in front of a small rock that lay on the ground. Thanks to the room's size, there was more than enough space between them.

"Wingardium Leviosa is one of the first charms you learnt. I want each of you to levitate your rock until it meets your eyes, no lower or higher, then we will be increasing the weight and maybe even the number of objects you can lift. Begin!"

If Harry was honest, the class was not bad. But then again, classes with Professor Kowalski rarely were. The woman had talent to teach, he would give her that. However, despite his growing apathy, he enjoyed the lesson.

He did not really pay attention to the practice as he was far too focused on his own exercise to care about the others, but for some reason, he felt as if someone was glaring at him the whole class. How curious was that?

The members of the Court made their way back to their headquarters with dragging feet and loud complaints, leaning on each other in order not to fall.

"I told you to take it easier," Harry reminded his complaining friends, who, for some unknown reason, decided to push themselves past their limits.

"How were we supposed to know that we would end up magically exhausted?" Theo asked in a whiny voice.

"Maybe thanks to all the hours we dedicate to practice," Neville answered.

"Or perhaps through all the lessons that Professor Flitwick gave us on magical exhaustion," Daphne added.

"Not that any of you are doing better," Blaise snapped, adding fuel to the fire.

"What's that?" Draco asked as his face contorted into a mix of surprise and mild disgust. Without knowing, the boy effectively put a stop to the oncoming discussion.

"A cat, obviously," Daphne told her fellow blond in a condescending tone. "As misshapen as the creature is."

While his friends were busy arguing, Harry eyed the curious cat in front of them. Quite large for it to be a normal cat, lion-like ginger mane, and yellow eyes that were far too intelligent for someone to feel comfortable with. Yes, the cat's face may not be the most adorable one, Harry acknowledged without hesitation. But for some reason, the boy felt a strange surge of warmth in his chest when he looked at the creature.

With careful steps, he approached the cat. Unlike what Harry was expecting, it did not shy away; instead, its eyes were focused on him. First, he offered his hand for the cat to smell. Much to his surprise though, it bumped its head against it instead, as if asking to be petted. When Harry complied, the cat began purring and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Who are you?" Harry asked to the cat, while searching its neck for any kind of plaque or identification. Nothing.

"Harry, let's go," Theo said, signalling the way to their room.

"Do you want to come with me?" Harry asked the cat. As response, the feline stood on its hind legs, willing the boy to lift him.

"Aw, come on! Are we taking that with us?" Draco groaned, glaring at the cat.

"Well, maybe you can learn from it," Blaise remarked, mussing the blond's hair.

"Should we get you a snake to teach you?"

"As long as I'm not a Parselmouth, I'm not willing to engage with reptiles that are more likely to kill me," the Italian boy stated without hesitation.

"Where do you think the cat came from?" Daphne asked, nearing the cat in order to pet it and receiving a judging glance in response.

"Maybe it belongs to a student, or it may be a resident from the castle," Harry said with a shrug. "If no one is searching for it, then I'm going to keep him."

"You don't like cats," Theo said, looking confused.

"What gave you that idea?"

"You never get close to Flora and Hestia's little devils."

"They're too small; I wouldn't want to hurt them," was Harry's easy answer.

The moment they arrived at their room, they were received by curious glances. Many looked at the boys who threw themselves on the nearest couches, disregarding the people who were already using them. Of course, most were more interested in the cat than in the complaints surrounding them.

"Last time we saw you, you were only six," Fleur commented in a lackadaisical tone, poking a tired Neville in the side.

"So, where did you get a cat?" Justin asked.

"You do know that your sister is definitely going to ask for one, right?" Terrence commented.

"We're still not sure who the cat belongs to," Harry said, dismissing the questions. "He'll stay with us for the time, and if he has no home, then I'm keeping him."

"So, since when are you a cat person?"

"I've always liked cats, though I've never wanted to have a pet," Harry answered, petting the purring cat on his lap. "Maybe Hedwig changed that; she's so independent I hardly have to worry about her."

"So, is everyone ready for the ball?" Draco asked, deciding the cat monopolized enough attention.

"Astoria's pretty excited," Daphne told the boy, a smirk playing on her lips. "How gentlemanly of you to ask her."

"You bullied me into asking your sister. Whatever, at least Astoria listens to me and we can have decent talks."

"That is because she is as obsessed with her hair as you are," Daphne retorted with a defeated sigh.

"Will you meet Iwan during the Holidays?" Fleur asked, looking at the girl.

"We still don't know. It depends how things go during the ball I guess," Daphne said with a shrug, and then she smiled at her friend. "I am glad you're going to join us for Yule. Honestly, Hwasa is a bit too outgoing and when she's with Elizabeth... They're chaos personified."

"Not to mention when Flora and Hestia join them," Adrian said, shuddering in an exaggerated fashion.

"Yeah, the castle gets pretty chaotic during Yule," Blaise agreed without hesitation. "Though we have loads of fun."

"True enough... So, what are the plans for the holidays?" Theo asked, looking at Harry.

"I'm going to travel with my sister for a few days. Aside from that, Lizzy wants all of us to visit the Muggle world, so be ready for whatever she's going to introduce you to," Harry warned, not looking worried in the least.

"I've always been curious about their world," Adrian commented. "What does she want to do?"

"I don't know and don't want to know."

"Well, this Yule is definitely going to be an adventure," Neville commented.