Death is but the Next Great Adventure

A Most Ancient & Noble House

In the last chapter: Harry starts class at Hogwarts with the occasional conflict with Snape or Michael and grows closer to his two friends Draco and Anthony. Harry spends his nights conversing with death, hearing stories about his parents and the Marauders--specifically, Sirius. Ron and his Gryffindor housemates get into trouble snooping around the third floor corridor. Hermione gets caught up in the troll fiasco and Anthony and Harry save her (resulting in Harry using wandless magic in front of Anthony). And Hermione is brought into the tight-knit group of Harry's friends.

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The rest of the term played out quite similarly to the first half: ruddy Gryffindors stuffing their noses into other people business, Severus Snape taking every opportunity to try to humiliate Harry, Death maintaining a sometimes dark other times hilarious narrative going on over Harry's shoulder, Harry reading, and Draco, Anthony, and Harry spending every spare moment together.

Hermione had begun joining them at meals—at Harry's cold and firm insistence—and though Draco wasn't happy what-so-ever in the beginning, Harry was sure to thump him on the head a few times to get him to stop being an idiot and remind him not only that Harry despised the blood-titles, but that Harry was, in fact, a Half-blood.

After that, Hermione became an expected part of the group, though she didn't join them half of the time in favor of quiet time alone to read. Harry enjoyed her feisty personality when she was around and envied her when she was allowed to have alone-time. If Harry ever tried to get some space from the two leeches he dubbed 'friends' he'd end up with two furious blondes who'd want to know who else he could possibly be hanging out with, or why was he pushing them away. Bunch of blasted nits, if you asked him!

Before anyone knew it, winter break came rolling in with a ridiculous amount of snow and a signup sheet for those who would be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Harry put his name on the list that was mainly a few seventh-years who wanted to spend Christmas break with their friends instead. When Anthony and Draco found out, the ribbed him with dozens of questions about why he wasn't going home and if he wanted, he could join either of their families over break.

Harry sighed and sat with his two friends at the Ravenclaw table for lunch. Draco across from him and Anthony on his right, as usual. Making a split decision—having not really thought about how his friends would react to him staying at Hogwarts—Harry decided to give them a fraction of the truth.

"Actually, I am planning on going to see family over break, but I can't see them if I go back to where I live with my relatives. I haven't told either of you much about them, but they . . . they don't exactly approve of magic and all of this." Harry made a broad sweeping gesture to Hogwarts, and the wizarding world in general. "If I went back now, chances are I'd be stuck there until break was over. My best chance is to stay here and sneak out of the castle for a while. It won't be hard, there's a secret tunnel leading from here to Hogsmead that the seventh-years use because it won't trip any wards." Harry explained as he scooped some rice and teriyaki chicken onto his plate.

"Who are you going to see?" Draco asked, brows furrowed. Liking how much easier it felt to tell the truth when he could, Harry decided to continue with that approach.

"A very close friend of my parents. I'm not sure if you know this, but Dumbledore is my current magical guardian. I think . . . I think he means well, but I don't think he is fit to be any child's guardian. I do not stay with him when not at Hogwarts and my guardians in the muggle world are not ideal. So I'm going to try to transfer my guardianship from Dumbledore to this family friend. If all goes well, I can live with him this summer instead of my relatives." Harry explained with a diminutive shrug.