"Mate, you have to be getting better at Potions, right?" Ron sighed as Neville came to collect Harry from where he was sitting by the fireplace with Ron and Hermione for Remedial Potions. "You think you can get out of this soon? Snape can't make you stay in the club forever."

Eir popped up behind Neville. "Nah, we just move people to tutors eventually," the second year smiled at the teen who had never spoken to her before. "Last year I was a tutee, now I'm a tutor."

"Pretty sure I'll never be promoted," Neville said with only good humor and an arm thrown across Eir's shoulders.

"Yeah, Ron, it's like the mafia, once you're in, you're in for life," Harry laughed with a smirk towards his creature friends.

"The what?" The redhead looked really confused.

"Muggle version of the Death Eaters…sort-of," Hermione translated.

"Ah..." Ron still looked confused. "But…isn't it just a club?"

"Hurry, I got news!" Colin Creevey called as he and his brother rushed past the group out of the portrait hole.

Eir sighed loudly. "That kid has so much drama he could power an entire theatre department at Hogwarts."

"Um…that kid is older than you, right?" Hermione asked, looking at the girl in confusion. They had talked a couple times when Harry was hanging around her, but not much.

"Yeah, but I don't have any relationship drama. My family does arranged marriages, and I actually like the bloke I'll eventually marry one day…so much less drama and anxiety on my end," Eir shrugged unconcernedly.

"Wait, what?" Harry looked at her in confusion. "You have an arranged marriage, and you already know about it, at twelve?! Who is it?" Harry looked around as if to see who the bloke was he was going to have to go all dementor/big brother on now.

"That's barbaric!" Hermione growled in indignation.

Eir rolled her eyes in exasperation. "First of all, I'm thirteen. Second, romance isn't super important to my people. I'm not saying we don't love or that my parents don't love each other, but companionship, trust, and loyalty are more important than romance. That's why we know who we'll marry so early, to establish a relationship built on trust and friendship. If he turns out to be untrustworthy or unworthy, I can drop him faster than an ashwinder. Besides, it's not like I plan on getting married until I'm at least twenty anyway. And Harry, chill, he goes to Durmstrang."

"Your people?" Ron asked with a speculative look at her, realizing there must be something going on there.

"Valkyries," the girl said with a fierce grin. "Keep that to yourselves though, if you don't mind. We don't get quite as much prejudice as most other creatures, but I'd still like to have a few more normal years of school before I'm outed."

"Wow, you aren't a myth?" Hermione looked at the girl like she was a new research project.

Harry chuckled and stood to leave; Colin had news. "Hermione, the first thing we learned as we entered this world is that the myths are all true. I don't think there's anything that would really surprise me anymore that it existed."

"Let's go, guys. I want to hear Colin's news," Neville tugged on Harry's sleeve to get him to move. "He's always good for a laugh and a good story."

"Fine…if I must," Eir dramatically groaned as she headed out the door.

"See you all in a bit!" Harry called back over his shoulder.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

"Why did you tell them?" Neville asked the Valkyrie as they approached the door to the room used by the HSMC.

"They either already know or will know about Harry," Eir shrugged. "Everyone can see how close they all are, and I would bet my favorite dagger that his species has more prejudice and restrictions on it than mine, so I'm not overly concerned. Besides, like I said, my species isn't vilified as much as others. My only danger is that You-Know-Who would try to recruit me and Kara because of what we are. That's our main reason for secrecy."

"Ron and Hermione actually already know about me, and they'll keep your secret. All three of us are fair game to be murdered by Voldemort, so we'd never tell him about you," Harry grinned at the girl who was quickly becoming a close friend, even with their age difference.

"Great! Now you just need to tell the rest of us," he earned a mischievous grin from Eir before she opened the door.

Neville patted him on the shoulder comfortingly before hurrying in and looking at the snack table. "I see you were successful in shaking off Snuffles," Harry smiled at the dog-less Snape who was drinking a goblet of what was definitely blood in the corner.

"That name is utterly ridiculous, and the mutt is ruining my reputation," the man sneered. "I promise to eat any additional strays that should show up at my door without prejudice!"

"He makes you much more approachable, Severus," Ginny smiled at him as she walked over and hugged Harry's waist.

"My point exactly," Snape gave her a dark look.

"Hey, he helped out in class today!" Harry laughed at the man's consternation. "My potion definitely would have exploded, and Draco's would have been useless without his help."

Snape just glowered as Colin was bouncing around the room. "Calm down you idiot and just tell us what happened!" Draco growled out in amused annoyance.

"Romilda Vane agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me for Valentine's Day!" Colin called out with a crow of celebration.

Harry put an arm around Ginny's shoulders and looked at him questioningly. "What happened to Hannah Abbott?"

"Keep up, Harry," Graham grinned at him with an amused gleam in his eye. "Colin moved on from her a week ago. Now he thinks Vane will be his mate."

"For the millionth and one time…you won't know until you turn 17!" Draco threw his arms up and plopped down on the couch beside where Neville was eating a sandwich.

"No sense not being prepared," Dennis disagreed, coming to his brother's defense. The two had already lowered their glamours, and Dennis was rolling his sleeves up, showing the dark, druidic runes covering his skin in highly magical patterns.

"Hey, can we drop glamours now?" Aceline asked excitedly, turning to Snape. "You think Umbridge is definitely gone? My wings have been cramped for far too long!"

Snape looked at Harry with a warning glare in his eyes. The man obviously didn't think Harry should remark on Umbridge, but this wasn't just any group of people. They had so many secrets between them, and they were all scared. This was the HSMC, the creatures' safe space; did he tell them; did he keep it a secret? Normally, the safe answer to that would be to lie and keep the secret, what Snape was obviously pushing for, but the fear the woman caused in the creature community was palpable. If there was any group of people who would be assured to keep his secret and that also deserved to know, it was this one. She was the boogey man that creature children were taught to fear. Neville however looked up at him with an encouraging smile and Harry sighed out, tightening his grip on Ginny a bit, hoping she wouldn't leave him.

Snape sneered and rolled his eyes, clearly seeing what was coming, but he didn't stop it. "Er…so, you know how Scrimgeour is interviewing everyone who saw her last and I was supposed to have detention with her that night, but she never showed…?"

Ginny tightened her hold around him just as he had with her. He got the feeling she already knew what he was about to say. He had no clue how Ginny seemed to always just know, since it had nothing to do with seeing magic.

"Merlin, Harry, what did you do?" Hestia asked as understanding flitted across her face.

"I know what I hope you did," Kara muttered loud enough everyone heard. "I know what I was praying someone would do…"

"I didn't mean to…but she'd cast crucio on me, hit me with a slicing hex, and cut up my face pretty badly," Harry explained frantically. "I'm not a creature that deals with pain well. And then…then she got in my personal space…she was just so close…" There was a collective gasp of indignation and anger from all members of the club, and even several swear words that Snape ignored taking points off for.

"Merlin's balls! I'd have drained her dry! Of course, there was nothing else you could do. The creature is going to take over in a situation like that," Bartholomew spoke up in understanding as his vampire would have done the same thing, his eyes seemed to challenge any else in the room to disagree with that statement.

"That woman was vile!" Brook fumed from where she was sitting by Matthew and Hestia. "I'd have drowned her in that situation…and happily at that. You were only protecting yourself, Harry."

Ginny kissed the side of Harry's neck in support and he closed his eyes, more thankful than ever for this group of people. He opened his eyes and looked over to the other Gryffindors since they were the ones that had to live with him. Colin and Dennis exchanged a look before Colin gave the older Gryffindor a little smile. "Harry, we're all creatures, and that means we all have instincts, and there isn't a person in this room that can blame you for protecting yourself. Dennis and I may not have many offensive powers since our magic is more ritualistic, but I would only hope that I would have fought back as much as I could in that situation as well."

"I just hope it was painful for her," Eir gave a fierce grin where Harry finally saw part of her glamour drop and razor-sharp teeth flash in the light.

"Do not be complacent. Still be careful with the new High Inquisitor about, but glamours are fine to drop in this room," Snape finally spoke up from his armchair and answering the original question. "That monster of a woman will never be returning. Harry ate her if we want to be specific about what happened," he added at the end with a fierce gleam in his eye, seeming to take great joy in that statement.

"I really do hope she tasted good at least," Ginny grinned at the dementor.

"So good," Harry grinned back. A few of the other students gave him a disgusted look at having to eat the pink abomination but looked more like they were just happy they didn't have to do it.

"Great! So, now that the toad is gone, we can focus on what's most important…" Aurora smiled happily at the group, then turned to Matthew. "How's it going with Sinistra? I'm dying to hear!"

"We're going to do dinner up on the Astronomy Tower for Valentine's," Matthew started gushing as Severus quickly pulled a stack of essays out of his bag so he could ignore the group. "She looked up relationships amongst creatures and faculty, and there aren't any rules against it since we can't really control it anyway…" Matthew continued to gush to the rest of the club.

"Hey, you need an alibi?" Draco leaned across Neville to ask Harry quietly as he sat by Ginny in the chairs beside them.

"You offering?" Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Draco rolled his eyes and Neville looked at him in happy approval. "Only that if asked, I could mention I saw you waiting outside her office in the hallway impatiently. I do patrol through there as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad."

"What do you want in return?" Harry asked now with suspicion.

"You already did it," the blond smirked at him viciously. "Unless you think you can eat the Dark Lord soon as well…preferably before summer?"

"I'm guessing you can't just eat him yourself?" Harry asked, still not knowing what Malfoy was.

"Hell no!" Draco's eyes widened in surprise and disgust. "My diet is the same as a human!"

"If with a little more sugar," Neville tacked on at the end.

"Yeah, well, my glucose levels tend to sink fast, but besides that," Draco waved him off. "But no, I will definitely not be eating anyone. Talk to Graham or Bartholomew for that."

"Maybe Hestia," Ginny looked over at the sixth year Ravenclaw. She still hadn't told anyone what she was, but knowing Ginny, she definitely knew anyway.

"My digestion doesn't really support eating people either," Graham added on from where he was sitting with David and had heard their conversation. "Gargoyles are more the tearing limb from limb type. I doubt I'd have any chance against the Dark Lord though."

"You would not," Snape spoke up from where he was doing everything to look like he wasn't listening in to every conversation. Harry thought being a vampire was probably a major advantage to his spying.

"Hey, Ginny! The house elves gave us beetles tonight. You want any?" Hestia called out from the snack table.

"Only if they included salsa to put on them," Ginny smiled broadly.

"Pretty sure that's what this is," the Ravenclaw picked up a bowl that had something red and chunky in it.

"Yes!" Ginny jumped up and rushed over.

"I really hope you can handle her food preferences," Draco smirked at Harry as he settled back into the couch. "Maybe you should get some chocolate covered crickets for her for Valentine's."

Harry rolled his eyes at the Slytherin. "I ate Umbridge. I'm pretty sure I can handle a few bug sandwiches."

"Seriously though Harry…chocolate covered crickets," Malfoy insisted with a pointed look. "Take my advice, find them somewhere."

Harry nodded, he figured that would be possible. "Thanks, Mal—Draco."

The blond nodded.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The next couple weeks seemed to go back to some semblance of normal. Scrimgeour still had the school running under his iron fist and most of the added decrees and regulations. His DADA classes were actually quite good though. He obviously knew his subject as an auror, but he wasn't the most patient teacher. He was basically a sterner Mad-Eye Moody, if that were possible. Harry and the rest of the DA put the club temporarily on pause since they were finally learning real material, but no one was willing to completely disband it as DADA professors were notoriously unreliable.

Sirius was settling in as well. He seemed to almost become the new Hogwarts mascot. He made sure to hang around Snape often, both to annoy the man and to make it clear he was pretending to be the Potion Master's pet but spent the rest of his time following around either Harry, Neville, or Ginny. Occasionally, he would follow around Malfoy, but that seemed to be more keeping an eye on him than actually enjoying his company. Regardless, since he was their head of house's pet and seemed to get along with Malfoy, the rest of the Slytherins accepted the scruffy grim into their midst, much to Harry's amusement since he knew the man's prejudice against Slytherins in general. McGonagall always looked amused as well whenever the animagus was around, knowing who it was and not seeming to care one bit. Harry had a theory that Dumbledore had spoken to her and warned her of Sirius's presence ahead of time. However, Scrimgeour looked at Sirius and Harry both with suspicion, but honestly, he looked at everyone with suspicion, so neither were worried too much just yet.

Harry made his way down to the kitchens after putting Jamie to bed a few days before the Hogsmeade weekend. "Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby exclaimed happily when Harry ghosted through the door into the kitchens. The other house elves glanced up but went back to work, used to the dementor being in the kitchens at that point.

"Dobby! How are you? How are you doing, Winky?" Harry addressed them both.

"The toad-woman finally passed," Winky answered simply from where she was decorating a cake for dinner the next day. "Winky is much happier now."

"Er, good," Harry responded awkwardly, really not wanting to think about it.

"Dobby is great! Is Harry Potter, sir, going with Mistress Fairy to Hogsmeade?" The house elf jumped up and down excitedly.

"I am. Actually, I was hoping you would help me with something," Harry smiled at the elf from under his dark hood.

"For Mistress Fairy, anything!" Dobby grinned happily.

"Do you have some crickets and some chocolate? I'd like to make her some chocolate covered crickets myself as a gift," Harry asked, wondering if they kept bugs on hand for the HSMC members.

Dobby looked a little sad. "Dobby isn't very good with chocolate. Winky will have to help Harry Potter, sir."

Winky turned with a wide grin to the dementor. "Dobby will take over," she ordered, handing the tube of icing to the other elf. "He also needs to think about what we's doing for Valentine's while he's at it," she warned the elf who looked properly chastised.

Harry smiled widely at them. "Are you two doing Valentine's together? Are you dating?"

"Winky and Dobby are engaged," Dobby answered Harry with a wide grin from where he was now starting to tackle the cake. "Mr. Harry Potter, sir, will be invited to the wedding."

"And I'll be there! Congratulations!" The dementor exclaimed excitedly. He had never been to a wedding before, much less a house elf wedding. He was looking forward to it immensely.

"Thank you, Harry Potter," Winky patted his arm. "Now, the crickets are in that cabinet over there. You get those and Winky will get the chocolate," she motioned to a cabinet in the corner.

"Tell me how Dobby proposed while we're cooking!" Harry asked in interest.

Dobby snorted in amusement from where he was making icing roses. "Winky proposed to Dobby," he responded.

"And it was very romantic…" Winky started with a glare to Dobby since she wanted to tell the story. "I's had just buried the toad woman in the Sahara and decided that since we's did such a good job with a dementor as our child, that Dobby and I's could try with a house elf child."

"Any child of yours, Winky, will be a formidable house elf," Harry laughed his haunting laugh as the surprise that Winky viewed him as her child sank in. He wasn't against it, he decided. It's not like he hadn't been raised as a house elf himself anyway.

"Yes, and they's be free," Dobby nodded in firm agreement.

"That we's still debating about," Winky smirked at her fiancé.

"Anyways, so Winky made Dobby some caramels…" Dobby continued with the story, rolling his eyes at their ongoing argument. Harry knew that Winky would eventually get her way though, whatever her side of the argument was.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Harry looked at the flowers he had picked for Ginny sadly. He had the chocolate covered crickets in one hand and a bunch of wildflowers in the other. They had been bright and colorful when he had first picked them, now they were dead and dried out. To his dementor, they looked much better, but he figured the fairy probably wouldn't think the same thing. He couldn't help that any plants he held in his hands for too long died quickly though.

"You look ridiculous," Malfoy sneered out of the corner of his mouth as he walked past to meet up with Parkinson and Zabini. Harry just smiled at him though. On some level, he knew that he did look ridiculous, but his dementor side is what dressed Jamie that morning. He was wearing the shiny, star covered robes that Dumbledore had given him for Christmas and had shined his locket and bracelet until they both gleamed. He had tried to do something to his hair, but it still stuck up at odd angles.

After a quick, but muffled bark, Sirius rushed up to where Harry was standing and waiting on his (maybe) date. "You aren't going on my date with me," Harry frowned down at his godfather, but took the two letters from his mouth that he was carrying. They were both covered in drool. "Ew, have Snape cast a water repellent charm next time," he grumbled while the dog gave a wheezy laugh.

Putting the chocolates under his arm, Harry opened