Hermione's bushy hair flapped in the wind gusts left behind as Harry chased Hedwig by her yet again. She had taken to tossing the brooms up in the air as he passed, just so he didn't have to slow down to get them from her. Harry easily caught them, even going full speed like he was, and whooped with laughter as Hedwig did loops around him.

They soon had all nineteen brooms moved across the field and stacked beside the lockers. The only one left was the one Harry rode. He slowed down and landed beside Hermione and the hair on the top of his head was as wind-swept as Hermione's was.

“You should see you hair!” Hermione giggled and pointed.

“Yours is no better!” Harry laughed and reached out to play with the mound of frizz. “It's so poofy!”

Hermione laughed as he tried, quite fruitlessly, to calm her hair down. “If brushes and combs can't do anything for it, your fingers don't stand a chance!”

Harry stopped trying and looked at her face. “You should have seen the messy bird's nest I used to have.”

“No! You?” Hermione asked, quite surprised that the handsome boy used to have messy hair.

“I didn't always look like this.” Harry admitted and they walked across the Quiddich field. “Messy hair, blotched skin, skinny as a rake...”

Hermione reached out and touched his arm. “Are you sure? You're pretty normal now.”

“Thanks to the healer and Madam Primpernelle.”

Hermione gasped. “It was you! That's your picture on her shop window!”

Harry nodded. “I met her a month ago and she did everything she could to try and get rid of my scar.”

“Your...” Hermione looked at his forehead. “I remember reading all about your lightning bolt scar. It's supposed to be prominent.”

“It still is.” Harry said. “I use a special concealing cream to cover it.”

“She couldn't heal it?” Hermione asked, surprised.

“No, and she even used a special potion that made me regrow my skin...” Harry started to say and Hermione took in a sharp breath. “It didn't really hurt until it was done and the scar burned itself back into the skin.”

“Oh, my god!” Hermione gasped. “I'm so sorry!”

“I've hurt worse from one of my cousin's punches.” Harry said and put the broom down on the stack. “Anyway, that's why my skin is so smooth. Madam Primpernelle said it's like baby skin.”

“R-really?” Hermione asked and reached up to touch his face. “Um... can I...”

“Sure.” Harry said and she lightly touched his cheek.

“It really is baby smooth.” Hermione whispered and caressed his cheek for several moments and stopped. “I wish my skin was so nice.” She said, wistfully.

Harry reached up and touched her cheek, then caressed it the same as she did to his. “I think it is.”

Hermione's face flushed red. “Th-thanks.”

Harry turned when he saw a flash of white in the corner of his eye. “Hedwig! I'm going up to the castle to eat and then I have detention!”

“HOOT!” Hedwig said loudly as she swooped by.

“Oh! I almost forgot! I have to reply to Bertha's letter.”

“You can write it out while you eat.” Hermione said. “I'll bring it out to Hedwig when you're done and then head to the library.”

“Thanks, Hermione.” Harry said and waved to the owl. “Bye, Hedwig!”

“Hoot hoot!” Hedwig said and banked sharply, then disappeared between the stands.

Harry and Hermione went into the castle and to the Great Hall to eat. Harry ate quickly and lightly, because he knew he would be working twice as hard without having the extra time like he had the last two days. He wrote out the letter, mentioning the school, the rat and the wizard, told her about classes and that she was right. He thought about asking her about the ghosts and what to do with them, then decided that he would handle it himself.

To his surprise, Harry hadn't seen a single ghost since Professor Binn's class. He smiled and sealed the letter, handed it to Hermione with another thank you, then ran out of the Great Hall. He didn't want to be late to report to Mister Filch's office for detention. He would also have to leave early to get ready for Astronomy class, so showing up early would give him as much time as possible to help clean.

*

Hermione left right after Harry and some of the other students breathed a sigh of relief.

“It's all right now, Sir Nicolas.” Percy said as he knocked on the table.

“Is he gone?” Sir Nicolas asked as he popped his head up through the table. “Whew, what a relief.”

“I don't know what he has against ghosts.” Ron said and picked up another piece of ham. “He must be a bit mental or something.”

“Obviously.” Percy said. “Remember what he did to our brothers and didn't even apologize for?”

Ron nodded. “He thought they were attacking me, though.”

“You set him straight, so that's all right.” Percy said. “I'm glad you're not associating with him.”

“But... mom said...” Ron started to say.

“She said to try and make friends with him. Did you?” Percy asked.

“Kinda.” Ron said. “He's not really talkative sometimes.” He shrugged. “I think Neville's more of a friend to him than I am.”

“He was too afraid Harry would be angry if he woke him.” Neville said.

“You weren't?” Dean Thomas asked.

Neville shrugged. He was afraid; but, he knew that Harry wouldn't hurt him, unlike some of the others. Seamus looked like he had a mean streak, Ron could lash out at random if you weren't careful, and Dean was muggle-born and Neville didn't know what his propensity was. He would have to watch him closely to see what he would be like. Ron's brothers were trouble, even Percy, because if you angered him, he made sure you knew about it.

They all left the Griffindor table when they were done eating and went back to their common room.

*

Harry, Mister Filch, and Missus Norris were just finishing on the second floor when Harry's alarm went off at thirty minutes to midnight.

“I have to get to Astronomy class.” Harry said with a sigh and handed his things to Filch.

“Aye, lad.” Filch said and took them.

“Meow.” Missus Norris said.

“We'll get more done tomorrow, I promise.” Harry said and waved as he left them.

He took one of the secret staircases that Mister Filch showed him and he was back up to the seventh floor after only two staircases. He said the password to the Fat Lady and ran up to his room, grabbed his book, parchment, and his large telescope. The box was heavy, so he set it down and cast a spell.

“Locomotor telescope.” Harry said and the box floated up to his waist. “I love magic.”

He left the dorm with the box floating just behind him. He went down the secret staircase again to the second floor, jogged halfway across the castle and came to a stop at the bottom of the Astronomy tower. It was then that something occurred to him.

Why are the first years forced to go to the tops of the towers for classes and to sleep? Harry asked himself. No one complains about it, either. He thought and took his time as he walked up the long set of circular stairs that ran all along the inside of the tower. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else inside the tower, which seemed like an awful waste of space.

“You're early, Mister Potter.” Professor Aurora Sinistra said as Harry stepped out of the door to the crenellated top of the Astronomy tower. “Most students don't deem to show up until the class starts.”

Harry checked his timepiece and saw that only ten minutes had passed between him leaving Filch, going to his room to get the telescope, and travelling all the way to the top of the Astronomy tower.

“I really am early.” Harry said. He still had twenty minutes for the class to start. “Should I get set up anyway?”

“You might as well.” Aurora said with a chuckle. “You'll find the fifth crenellation to the left of the door is the best spot for a normal telescope.”

Harry gave her an odd look. “If that's the normal best spot, where would the best best spot be?”

Aurora chuckled again. “It's right over here beside me; but, a weak telescope won't be able to see as much this close to the lights of the main castle.”

Harry smiled and walked over with the box floating behind him. The professor's eyes widened at the use of the spell that no one would use on anything smaller than a trunk, then Harry ended the spell and opened the box when it landed.

Aurora gasped when she saw an exact copy of her telescope, one of only three ever made, then Harry tapped it with his wand. It lifted up into the air and deployed its auto-levelling legs, extended out to the same distance as her own, then tilted up and the eye piece popped out into a double eye viewer.

“You... can't use... the advanced features.” Aurora said, barely above a whisper.

“It tells me the name of everything I can see, doesn't it?” Harry asked.

“That and more.” Aurora said in a defeated tone. “I'll allow you to use it, as long as you don't share it. Having one student get all the answers so easily is enough.”

Harry thought about what she said. “I don't even have to point it in the right direction, do I?”

The woman shook her head. “It's an expensive magical telescope. You just ask it for what you want to see and it will show it to you.”

Harry let a smile spread across his face. “Thank you for telling me, professor. I promise that I won't share it during class.”

“Thank you, Mister Potter.” Aurora said in relief and the two of them stood there and waited for the class to start. After a few minutes, she had to ask the question that was burning through her brain. “Why did you buy it?”

“The woman at the emporium thought I couldn't afford anything and I asked her to show me the best one she had.”

“The last one.” Aurora said and he nodded.

“She said you had one and she had the other.” Harry said. “She was shocked when I actually wanted to buy it.”

“So am I.” Aurora said and gave him an inquisitive look. “Are you actually interested in Astronomy?”

“No idea.” Harry said and her eyes widened.

“But... you spent...”

“I didn't want to stand here and wonder if I was seeing the moon or a smudge on the lens.” Harry said. “Self cleaning, auto-adjusting, unscratchable, unbreakable, and everything anyone could ever want on a telescope... or anything, really.” He said and then smiled. “I can't wait to learn the spells for myself.”

Aurora opened her mouth to tell him that some of the spells couldn't be learned in school, when the door to the stairs opened and the nine other Griffindor first years came out carrying their much smaller boxed telescopes.

“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed and came over to him. “I almost thought you weren't going to make it.”

“I set my alarm for half to midnight.” Harry said.

“That was smart.” Hermione said and beamed a smile at him.

“Don't forget to change it for the morning again.” Neville said and started to set up his old telescope nearby.

“Thanks, Neville.” Harry said and then leaned in close to Hermione. “The best spot to see from is the fifth one from the left of the door.” He whispered to her and she jumped.

“THANKS!” Hermione yelled and ran over to the spot. She had her telescope up and pointed before anyone else did.

Aurora almost laughed at her excitement. “Is everyone set up?” She asked and they all nodded. “Tonight, as you can see, the moon is full.”

“Awooo!” Dean howled from across the tower and half of the class screamed, boys and girls included, as did the professor.

“Mister Thomas!” Aurora snapped. “That was a horrible thing to do!” She glared at the shocked boy. “I'll be talking to your head of House and I have no doubt she will be deducting points from you.”

“It was just a joke!” Dean said. “You know? Full moon. Werewolf. They howl at it.”

“We know all too well about the threat that the werewolves pose to wizards and witches.” Aurora said and then she heard several gasps.

“WEREWOLVES ARE REAL?!?” Harry, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus yelled.

Aurora looked at the shocked faces and let out a sigh. “The first year speeches are lacking in some respects, then.” She said. “I will bring it up with the headmaster and let the other teachers know.”

Harry was beyond shocked. Werewolves are real. He thought, then he immediately thought of all the other scary stories that his cousin Dudley had told him to frighten him and the monsters they had. Vampires. Mummies. Zombies. His hands started to shake and he made them into fists. I should have known. He thought as anger filled him. If ghosts are real, then that must mean other things are real. Giants, trolls, gnomes... the list could be endless!

“For now, please focus your telescopes on the moon and tell me what you see.” Aurora said and the class went on as Harry thought about all the horrors that he thought were only stories, were actually real.

The horrors are real. Harry thought and looked up at the full moon. The monsters are real!