Red dragon

35

Once again with help from Hermione the Gryffindores ploughed through their exams. And the same as the year before Ron had all O's on his report card much to the twins excessive teasing.

With help from the second years Ginny and Luna were both in the top ten of their individual houses. Luna's results were at a ten on the board and Ginny's was nine. If they were placed into the whole year Ginny was thirteenth place. She was far too distracted with learning the Patronus and such to really focus on her studies. Also the first year Slytherins excelled that year.

The leaving feast was fantastic. Gryffindor won the house cup and the Quidditch cup that year. A brutal defeat of Slytherin and Ravenclaw; Hufflepuff gave up a bit more of a fight.

"Now my students, I regret to inform you that Professor Lockhart will not be returning next year to teach." The headmaster told the students. "He has some very important legal matters to deal with. He does not know how long it will take so thought it best not to return next year."

Harry smiled. Things really were turning out quite well these days. It was only a few months until he saw Remus and Sirius again.

Harry was discussing his third year choices with Hermione. "I think you should take divination."

"Defiantly not." Harry shook his head with a smile, there was no way in hell he was going through that again.

"But you're a seer- you and Luna are probably the only people in this school that lesson is useful for." Draco butted in.

"Hell no." Harry smiled. "It's not something you can really teach. You either have the sight or you don't. I'm taking ancient runes and Care of magical creatures." Harry told them decisively.

"What about Arithmatcy?" Hermione suggested. "That's fortune telling as well."

"My schedule will be full if I take a third… Ah why not." Harry sighed and noted it down. He wanted to learn as much as he could and that way he could have the lesson with Hermione.

"I'll take care of magical creatures with you Harry," Ron told him. "but I thing I'm going to take divination. Everyone says it's really easy."

"I was thinking of taking runes." Draco shrugged. "It seems like the only real interesting subject."

"Take Care of magical creatures with us." Ron suggested. "It might be good for your healing training. How much more difficult can beasts be?"

Draco seemed to find this sufficient reasoning and marked it down. "I'll come to Divination with you Ron."

"Cool."

"Well I'm going to take Artihmacy, Muggle studies and Ah I'll take magical creatures with you guys." Hermione marked down her three lessons.

"Right we're all sorted."

"Wait Hermione why are you taking muggle studies; you were raised by muggles?" Draco and Ron both looked confused.

"Exactly, I want to know how wizards see muggles."

"I think muggle studies is a waste of time." Draco shrugged. "We don't need it."

"I don't know it could be useful." Ron spoke. "It can help understand muggleborns and stuff."

"Well yeah muggleborns are fine but I don't care about Muggles." Draco insisted.

"My parents are muggles."

"Yeah but they're your parents and you're a witch. That's fine but muggles that don't understand." He shrugged his shoulders. "We have magic and they don't."

"Draco. I don't think you understand fully." Hermione was trying to be patient with him. "There's nothing wrong with muggles. They leave Wizards alone most of them don't know we exist."

"Yeah but look at what they did to Harry; mother says they are always fighting amongst each other."

"Draco there are bad Wizards just as much as bad muggles. Look at your father; or Azkaban for example. I'm pretty sure the ratio is about the same."

"Well I guess…" Draco looked very confused. "It was my father who…"

Harry chose to cut in at that moment. "Let's leave this, Come on We're all only twelve. We might change our minds later."

"Yeah." Draco insisted at once. "I wasn't trying to upset you…."

"We'll leave it." Hermione agreed with a half-smile.

No one mentioned muggles for the next few days. They discussed their plans for the holiday. Harry didn't know what he was doing that holiday but Hermione was going to France. The boys gave her all the information they knew about magic in France. The France Wizards still had a monarch; A queen Lionas a Witch and to Hermione's amazement a Half Blood. Her father was a muggle born; her mother a Princess. There were castles and magical caves; museums of magic one of the largest in the word. Hermione wanted to see everything.

Oliver and his father took Harry out to Quidditch games over the holidays. He went to a Chudley Cannons match -they lost- and had the team sign a photograph for Ron. That would be his Christmas present that year.

They went dragon watching in the Welsh sanctuary and all across England to see magical sights. Harry was amazed that Olivers family had country houses as well. Well house; the other was a cottage near the beach.

Then suddenly without warning Harry was stuck inside the main house. Oliver was joined at the hip to him rather than visiting his Girlfriend; Gwendolyn Quinnin next door. She would come over often.

Harry realized what it was after the first three days. Sirius was out. Harry ran to his room to do a victory dance. Something that freaked out Zana to no end. Sirius was out of Azkaban. He could see his godfather again. Wooooo.

"Harry are you okay!" Lee called from his office.

Was that out loud? "Yeah; I'm fine. Just playing with Zana!"

Harry grinned at the thought; Sirius out of Azkaban, Basklist skin in a box under his bed. So many secrets to smile about.