There are characters in this story that are nicer because of my Beta Deb's contribution. Thank you.

*

The second Quidditch game of the season was on November third, between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The Slytherin team practiced with the Ravenclaw team to help get them ready, and partly because of the help the Slytherin team gave them, Ravenclaw was an excellent team. The score was close to being tied before James caught the snitch. James was flying better than ever. It was reported in the Quidditch magazines that James Potter was already playing at a professional level.

Harry told Ginny, "I'm worried about James. I think James is working on the protective spells on the uniforms. Did you see how close he came to the stands, the ground, and other obstacles? I think he has charmed the uniform and maybe his broom to keep him safe, but just."

"He worries me too," Ginny agreed. She looked down at baby Minerva. "I know my Mum still worries about all of us. I guess I will never stop worrying about my babies, even when they are grandparents."

"James has noticed that Erica is a girl," Harry pointed out. Erica had kissed James after the win, and although it was just a little peck, Harry and Ginny did know that James and Erica were dance partners for the dancing lessons that started third year. "If they marry right after Hogwarts, you could be a grandmother by the time you are forty-five."

Ginny looked at Harry in horror. "I have a BABY! It's too soon to think about that!" Harry snickered to himself and Ginny grinned as she smacked his shoulder.

*

Wednesday November seventh, while he was in Charms, Albus saw a Patronus in the shape of a mini-Centaur. The Patronus proclaimed in Firenze's voice, "Albus, come to my classroom, please. It is urgent."

Professor Unbridge scowled at his student as Albus rushed out of his Charms class and went to Firenze's classroom. The centaur told Albus, "There is trouble in the forest, and I have been told to fetch you as soon as possible." The two quickly walked to the front hall and into the courtyard. "Climb on my back."

Albus mounted the centaur after Firenze knelt low enough for him to get up, and the centaur galloped into the forest. Eventually they slowed down, and stopped. They were met by Apollo and Bane, both looking grey with grief.

"Please procure those glasses that shield us from the basilisk, and those instruments you talk on," Apollo pleaded, his eyes red from weeping. "We have lost several animals to the beast, and have just lost Demetra and Chara."

"Demetra and Chara are both dead?" a shocked Albus asked, horror in his voice. "How many mobiles and glasses do you need?"

"Twenty-four glasses should be more than enough," Apollo replied. "We will keep as much of the herd away from the basilisk as possible. We think four of the ... the talking things should be enough."

"They are called mobiles, and I will call my father right now," Albus vowed. He took out his mobile and called his father.

"Albus, I thought you were in class," Harry answered, sounding stern but concerned.

"Do you remember us talking about the basilisk a few weeks ago? It's killed some of the Centaurs animals and... Dad, they lost a mother and baby, Demetra and Chara, Magorian's mate and child. We really have to do something as soon as possible." Albus promptly replied. "The centaurs need twenty-four pairs of the glasses that shield you from the stare of the basilisk, and they want four mobiles as well."

"Stay where you are, Albus," Harry said over the speaker. "I am going to see how many of the glasses Aunt Angelina has on hand, and what we have to do to allow the centaurs to wear them. I will call you back as soon as I know."

*

Albus looked at the centaurs in horror. "Demetra and Chara are both dead?" he asked, not wanting to believe what the centaurs had told him.

"Yes," Apollo sadly confirmed, his face etched with grief.

"We have to wait for my father to call back," Albus informed the centaurs. "He is trying to see how many glasses he can get, and how to modify them to fit you."

Albus felt Cleopatra, and he knew she could feel the strong emotions that he was feeling. She had seen him feel for the ring he never wore, the Resurrection Stone, and then rush out of the room. Half an hour later, mind to mind Albus shouted, 'Demetra and Chara are dead, killed, the centaurs think, by a basilisk.'

Albus tried to control his emotions. How did his father hold it together when friends and family were killed?

*

"Oh, no!" Cleopatra yelled right in the middle of her Charms class.

Professor Umbridge yelled, his voice filled with loathing and disgust, "It's bad enough that Potter runs off in the middle of class without permission, but then his fat girlfriend disturbs the class. I expect you need to run after him. GO. GET OUT OF MY CLASS."

Cleopatra quickly left the classroom. None of the other teachers had picked up on her unfortunate nickname, but Professor Umbridge was nasty. Since being ordered to allow Albus to teach her the charms, and to allow her to do them her own way, the professor had lost his ability to dictate to them, and he took out his pettiness by calling her names and grumbling. It was bad enough that Mrs. Astoria Malfoy had called her fat since she first came to live at their house, and that some of the students had picked up on it. Having a professor do it was just unfair.

Cleo found an out of the way corridor and sat down on the floor. She tried to connect to Albus, without bothering him. She saw that Albus was standing in the forest next to the centaurs Apollo, Bane, and Firenze. She thought that she had heard that Demetra and Chara were dead, but she was not sure. What she did know is that everybody was unhappy, and very tense, and that Albus was waiting for a call on his mobile.

Cleopatra was shaking. She needed to ... she needed to ... what? It was hard to think, it was just terrible emotions. She finally thought out loud, "I don't know if I believe in all this religion stuff, but God, whatever power you are, help us. Help Albus and the centaurs and everybody ... and me." Cleo though of Demetra and Chara, and the tears came, and came, and came, until the front of her blouse was wet.

Cleopatra listened through Albus's eyes and ears as the centaurs explained what was happening in the forest, including a graphic description of finding Demetra and Chara, eyes open, bodies partly eaten. The magic of the centaurs could tell that the two centaurs had seen something that killed them. It just wasn't fair that a mother and child would be killed like this!

Dis, Cleo's Elf, could see and hear how distressed Cleo was. Normally Dis protected Cleo from physical dangers, and although most people were not aware of it, she had intercepted Magi trying to harm Cleo several times since she had been given her job. This was a different kind of problem. Cleo needed a human to talk to, not an Elf. She promptly found Plato, the Head Elf, in the Elf quarters. Plato had a map, courtesy of Albus, and quickly found out that Professor Cinnamon Appleleaf was free.

"Cinnamon is good at talking to human girls with problems," Plato told Dis. "She should be able to help."

Dis appeared at the door to the Appleleaf quarters in the married professor's housing at Hogwarts, and knocked on the door. Professor Appleleaf opened the door.

"I am Dis, and I am Cleopatra's Elf," Dis introduced herself.

"I know who you are, Dis," the professor acknowledged. "Why this visit?"

"Something has happened to cause Albus Potter to rush out of Charms. Whatever it is, Cleopatra seems to know, and when she said something in class Professor Umbridge called her fat and told her to leave the class. Whatever it is, Cleopatra is sitting in the hall outside the classroom crying."

"I will come with you to talk to Cleo," Cinnamon told the Elf. She called for an Elf who, Dis knew, worked as a babysitter for a number of the professors. "Please take care of Ruby," Cinnamon told the Elf. "She should be waking up from a nap soon. I will take Daisy with me."

The professor left her three-year-old daughter with the babysitting Elf, and let Dis take her to where Cleopatra was sitting.

Cinnamon sat down on the floor, holding the baby, and kindly asked Cleopatra, pulling the crying girl against her for a quick hug, "What is going on? Other than Professor Umbridge calling you fat."

Cleo sighed, "Albus is with Firenze and the centaurs, and a mother and baby are dead. I KNOW them, and it is not fair that they have been killed. I know that all the centaurs are upset, and so is Albus. How do people handle tragedy?"

"I do not know," Cinnamon acknowledged with a sigh of her own. "Each person handles it in a different way."

Cleo pulled away and looked over at baby Daisy. "May I hold the baby, please? Maybe that will make me feel better."

"Maybe holding Daisy will help," Cinnamon agreed, putting Daisy in Cleo's lap. Daisy spent several seconds of the change trying to figure out if she like that until she turned to look at Cleo and was distracted by the buttons on Cleo's shirt. She began to happily play with them babbling happily to herself.

"I should not be so upset at Professor Umbridge calling me fat," Cleo mused as she watched the baby playing. "I am a little heavy, and after all those years of Mrs. Astoria Malfoy calling me fat I guess I should be used to it."

"Even if you were obese, which you are not, there is no excuse for a professor calling you names. You are thirteen, you are still growing, your weight is the last thing you need to worry about," Cinnamon retorted. "If I can I will see if I can get it to stop." She mused to herself that Umbridge is the last one who should be calling Cleo fat as he was sporting quite the belly himself. She made a mental note to talk to Madam Pomfrey about healthy eating, size and such for the girls and to makes sure that no one is suffering from eating disorders because of people expectations about weight. Cleo was not obese. You could tell she was a bit heavy, but her body was getting ready for another growing spurt, so her weight would soon equal what it should be for her height and shape.

"Professor Umbridge just hates me," Cleo grumbled, letting Daisy play with her fingers.

"He is not being professional by showing it," Cinnamon responded. "He is probably just jealous. From what my husband tells me, you are an extraordinarily talented Magi. Umbridge is not very talented, although he is an acceptable teacher. I do not know what I can do about it, but I am going to tell Professor McGonagall what Dis told me about Professor Umbridge calling you names."

Cleo cooed at the baby, "Hi, Daisy. I hope no one calls you names. Holding you helps."

"Oooh waha ooh," Daisy responded, as she continued to babble, looking back at her mother and smiling widely at her.

"Thank you, Professor," Cleo sighed. "This helps."

*

Harry Potter pushed a button on his desk phone, and one of the assistants answered, "Yes, Mr. Potter."

"I need four new Magi/Muggle Mobiles, with the bills sent to the Centaur division, as soon as you can get them to me. NOW, not later today, please."

"Yes, sir," the voice on the other end answered. Harry could see a witch stand up, say something to the people around her, and run out of the department.

Harry dialed Angelina's mobile. Angelina answered, "Harry, why the call?"

"How quickly can you have twenty-four of the magical glasses that protect you against basilisk stares ready for me? If right away and fewer than twenty-four just let me know how many you have. I want to bring as many as I can to the centaurs, and if you have a way of making them stay on a centaur head we need that as well. I hope to leave for Hogwarts within the hour if that is possible."

"The difficult we do immediately," Angelina quipped. "That would be twelve or more pairs, and I am coming with you to do the fitting spells. The rest we can have within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and I will try to do the impossible and have them sooner."

"Call me on my personal mobile as soon as you have them, and thank you," Harry replied. He then dialed Albus, thinking how much easier this was instead of communicating by Patronus. "Give me an hour or two, and I will have both the mobiles and some of the glasses," Harry informed his son.

*

Within half an hour Harry had the four mobiles. He took the Floo to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and then went next door to Angelina's Angel Armor, the store that Angelina and Ron owned that supplied items to worldwide Departments of Magical Law Enforcement.

"I found thirteen pair," Angelina barked when Harry came in the door. "I'm ready to go with you." She grabbed her bag and followed Harry out of her store.

Harry pulled out his phone and dialed, "I have thirteen pairs of glasses, and the four mobiles, son," Harry told Albus as soon as Albus answered his mobile. "Where are you?"

Albus asked Apollo, "Where should we meet my father?"

Apollo replied, "The forest entrance nearest Hagrid's dwelling."

"I heard that," Harry told his son. "Aunt Angelina and I will meet you."

Harry told Angelina, "I don't want to Apparate all the way to Hogwarts, not carrying all this. We will take the Floo to the store in Hogsmeade, and then go into Hogwarts."

*

Once she knew where Albus was going to be, Cleopatra told Professor Appleleaf, "Albus is going to be at the edge of the forest, with some of the centaurs. I think his father is going to meet him. Do you mind if I go out to meet Albus?"

Dis let the professor know, "I will go with her."

Cinnamon answered, "I really need to take Daisy back to our quarters, and leave her with the babysitters, Cleo. My husband and I both have classes next period. You may go." Daisy hugged Cleo before she handed her back to her mum and waved goodbye as Cleo got up and left the corridor.

Cleopatra ran out to meet Albus. As she was running towards Hagrid's house she saw Harry and Angelina, and waited for them. She greeted them with, "Oh, Mr. Potter, it has been years since I've seen someone killed."

"You saw someone killed," Harry asked, astonished.

Cleopatra looked at Harry, puzzled. "I do not know why I said that. I think I have seen a lot of killing, but I don't have any memories of it." Harry made a silent reminder to try and talk to Cleo later as Cleo tried to control her emotions, and the three Magi walked towards Albus and the centaurs who were waiting for them.

Albus and the centaurs were waiting for Harry and Angelina at the edge of the forest, Apollo nodded to Hagrid when the large man came out to see why Cleo and Harry were about. "Hagrid you need to be careful, it seems that another Basilisk might be around the area," Harry explained.

"Eh, that's not good the poor misunderstood bestie," Hagrid frowned.

"That poor misunderstood bestie killed Demetra and Chara," Apollo sternly told Hagrid.

Hagrid was shocked, yelling "not Demetra and Chara!" He listened as Angelina moved towards the large Centaurs and began pulling out her glasses.

Angelina fit the glasses on the centaurs who were there, and did some spell work to allow the remaining glasses to fit other centaurs. Harry give the four mobiles to Apollo, and Apollo told Harry that he would let Harry know who would be using the mobiles.

"I think two of the mobiles will be used by patrols, and will be shared, used by the centaurs on duty," Apollo explained. "I will keep one on me at all times."

When they were finished Angelina told Harry, "I am going back to see how quickly I can get more of the glasses."

"Can we have some, Dad?" Albus asked. "I think this may have something to do with Tom Riddle Hanley. He disappears, and we cannot find out where he goes. There has to be some way to get into The Chamber of Secrets. That is the last place there was a basilisk."

"I will have a dozen for you, Albus," his Aunt Angelica agreed, "I will keep a larger inventory of the glasses on hand, just in case they are needed."

"I will go up to the castle with you," Harry told Albus and Cleo. "I need to tell Professor McGonagall and the staff what is going on. I may also have to tell your story to have you excused from your last class."

"I don't know if it will help," Cleo complained. "Professor Umbridge hates me. I know I'm not thin, but he doesn't have to call me FAT all the time."

Harry and Angelina gave each other grim looks; Harry gave a small nod indicating that he would be talking to Minerva. Hagrid fell into step with Angelia and talked to her as he escorted her to the gate. He looked grimly back at the forest. Demetra and Chara were good friends and now they were gone.

*

Minerva McGonagall was in her office when her mobile rang. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement officer at the gate told her, "Something is going on. Harry Potter and Angelina Weasley just entered, carrying some things. I think they are headed towards Hagrid's house or the forest."

"Thank you," Minerva answered. She took out her copy of the map that Harry had given her. She could see Harry and Angelina moving quickly towards the forest, joined by Cleopatra. At the edge of the forest were Albus and three centaurs. Albus's Elf guard was close to him, and Cleo's Elf guard was close to her. The Elf guards of the two students were unobtrusive, but almost always there.

The next few years were going to be a challenge. She promised the board she would stay on until the last of the current crop of Potter and Weasley children were out of school. The school almost always had an assistant headmaster of a different sex than the headmaster, for a variety of reasons. Neville Longbottom was in line to succeed Minerva. The person she and the board had in mind for the next assistant headmaster was Cinnamon Apppleleaf, but Cinnamon and her children were both young, and Cinnamon needed a few more years before she would be ready.

The students had no idea how many things a headmaster needed to keep in mind. Rose Sprout was planning on working at another magical school, probably in Switzerland, before coming back and helping her mother. You always had to be aware of staffing and succession planning, especially as the school had grown.

Minerva was contemplating all this as she was walking down to the entrance of the castle to meet Harry, Albus and Cleopatra.

"I do not expect this is a social visit, Harry," Minerva started out in greeting.

Albus looked at his father, and Harry began, "Two centaurs, a mother and child, have been killed in the forest. The deaths have all the hallmarks of a basilisk. We have brought them magical glasses that protect from the stare of the basilisk, plus four mobiles so they can call for help. We need to bring them more glasses, and also procure some for Albus and others."

"I think Tom Riddle Hanley is getting into the Chamber of Secrets, Professor," Albus added. "I just don't have any proof. I have asked Dad to get us some of the special glasses as well."

"Can you charm my glasses to protect me?" Minerva asked.

"We can, and I should probably treat the glasses of all the staff and students. We need to dip the glasses in a special compound and