It was finally the fall equinox and time for the next exchange of gifts between Harry and Hermione, and he could feel the attention of the pureblood witches and wizards in their year watching as he approached the breakfast table where Neville and Hermione were waiting. The last gift exchange hit the papers within a day, and he expected the same for today’s exchange, the ‘Boy Who Lived’ couldn’t have a private life after all.

“How are you both this morning?” Harry asked, taking a seat and offering Hermione a small grin as he noted the wrapped present sitting at her elbow.

“I’m well," she said, turning back to her bowl of oatmeal, “did you have as awful a time picking a gift as I did?”

“It was rather hard deciding how abundance and overflowing productivity could be gifted. I hope you enjoy what I managed to come up with, and no matter what you say, I’m not taking it back.” Harry said, smirking as he fixed his tea.

“Now you have me worried,” she muttered, pushing her bowl to the side and sliding her gift in front of his place, “Go on, as a muggle first-generation witch family, we don’t have much wealth in the wizarding world however in the muggle world my family is considered wealthy.”

Harry pulled out his gift and passed it over as well, noting they both were using small boxes about the size of a jewelry box. Inside his was a simple silver pendant that offered protection against minor spell damage, poisons, and blocked portkeys that weren’t blood-linked while she wore it. It was the card he knew she’d have an issue with.

Hermione blushed hard after reading the card; however nodded with a frown, tucking the card away. It was a certified notice from Gringotts showing the balance on her new dowery vault. Should she reach the age of forty without marriage, the vault would change over to a personal vault, and she would be allowed to spend it how she liked.

Opening her present, he blinked in surprise at the invitation to attend a week’s vacation in France with her parents, fully paid for, with an attached itinerary that showed opera, Broadway-style plays, or evenings at various events each night that weren’t cheap.

“Thank you for your gift, Friend of House Granger," she said, accepting the kiss he brushed across her knuckles with a blush.

“Thank you for your gift, Friend of House Potter. I’ll make sure to leave that week open in my summer plans. Didn’t you go last year?" he asked with a grin, turning back to his empty plate and starting to add as close to a balanced meal as he could from the fat and sugar-heavy options.

Oatmeal with milk, fruit, and nuts with eggs on the side filled his plate and his stomach as Hermione spoke animatedly about her last trip to Paris with her parents. Neville chimed in occasionally on the smaller weekend trips his grandmother had taken to the various wizarding areas around Europe.

Several of his plans were coming together this week, and he savored the quiet he knew would be utterly missing once the news hit the Hogwarts rumor mill. Their first class that morning was History, and he used it to work on homework while making the occasional note of topics to research further whenever Bins paused to state the title of the chapter he was quoting.

Harry tried not to worry about the cursed werewolf clan. He wouldn’t be able to help them until summer break at the earliest. He simply couldn’t travel that far from the castle without a good alibi. Already, he was pushing his luck heading to Gringotts. Those trips would have to wait unless it was an emergency as well, now that school was in full swing. He hated putting off his responsibilities, but he saw little choice without outing himself to the headmaster and the world. He needed a better way of spending more time outside of the castle.

He had a good start on his essay once class ended and Hermione and Neville headed to lunch. The quidditch practices were going well, and he was looking forward to the first game coming up, even if he was going to be in the stands. At least Ron wasn’t here to barrage him constantly about it.

“Are you certain about quitting the team? They might take you back if you grovel a little bit.” Hermione offered with a frown, noting his attention on several of the Ravenclaw team members arriving in quidditch leathers.

“I’m ready for a break. If things calm down next year, I can try out again then.” Harry said, ignoring the glares, it was taking too much of his time to practice three times a week and trying to manage the unruly members.

“As long as you are sure,” she said with a nod, dismissing the entire matter.

Stolen novel; please report.

Neville shrugged with Harry as they went back to their food. The desserts popped up, and Harry hissed at his poison detection bracelet, which went burning hot as he reached for a dish.

“Don’t touch the pudding,” he snapped, warding off that part of the table and standing to fetch Professor McGonagall only to see her already striding his way.

“Mister Potter?”

“Sirius got me a bracelet that detects poison last year.” Harry murmured, “The trifle made it burn my wrist when I reached for it.”

“And the wards?”

“I placed them so no one else would try and eat anything.” Harry offered with a shrug.

“Very well, please remove your spell work so we can examine the food." she said, turning back to the rest of the students, “Everyone, please go directly to your dorms. Dinner is canceled, and if you feel sick at all, let your head of house know immediately.”

Flickwick levitated the offending pudding to a conjured table while the rest of the food was scanned for tampering. Two other dishes were eventually found to have been dosed, but the house elves had held the food back.

“The puddings had a bad smell, but Tuffy be insisting one must be served since it is Potter’s favorite.” The kitchen staff elf said, wringing its hands.

“Where is Tuffy now?”

“He is leaving to run an errand for Headmaster Dumbledore, Mistress, and has not returned to the kitchens.”

“I’ll scan the rest of the kitchens to be safe,” Flitwick said with a frown, gesturing for the elf to accompany him.

“Perhaps you should start carrying a bezoar, Mister Potter. They can mean life or death with a poisoning.” Slughorn said, frowning, knowing he’d used the one that Harry normally carried.

“You may be right, Professor Slughorn,” Harry agreed, “Professor McGonagall, would I be able to go to Hogsmeade to pick up one this weekend?”

“Surely the boy shouldn’t be traveling when someone just tried to kill him? What if they try again?” Professor Sprout asked, twirling her wand in agitation.

“I will escort Mister Potter myself since I need a few items from town as well.” McGonagall said with a sniff, waiving away any objections, “We will arrange a time later, Mister Potter, I need to discuss today’s events with the headmaster.”

“How exactly did a house elf not owned by Hogwarts wind up in the kitchens in the first place?” Slughorn asked, “I thought there were wards to prevent such things?”

“I intend to ask Albus that. Come along, Mister Potter, I would like Madame Pomphrey to check you over before you return to the dorms.” The herbology professor said, guiding him out of the hall as the others went back to examining the pudding.

“I didn’t even touch the pudding, professor.” Harry protested.

“I would rather be safe than sorry, my dear." she huffed, guiding him up the stairs, “I was rather hoping this would be a calmer year for everyone, yourself especially.”

“I’m starting to think I attract trouble. No matter how calm I try to keep my life, Professor Sprout, trouble just seems to find me.”

“I doubt it is simply your nature, Mister Potter. You would have done well in Hufflepuff. Not all courage is rushing into danger. There is courage in smaller, quieter actions as well.”

“I’d much rather prefer the behind-the-scenes courage, professor, but so far, I keep getting pushed into the spotlight.”

“Sadly, there is little anyone can do to control the wiles of the public." she sighed, opening the hospital ward door, “Poppy, do you have a moment to check over Mister Potter?”

“What has happened?” Madame Pomphrey asked, hurrying over.

“Someone slipped poison into a dessert on the Gryffindor table. No one touched it, but I would rather double-check than have a child get injured.”

“Of course,” she said, casting a series of spells over Harry and blinking in surprise at the results.

“Is everything alright?” Professor Sprout asked, looking concerned when Poppy didn’t reply immediately.

“Oh yes, he is in perfect health, but I’d like to keep him overnight just to be safe," she said, giving Harry a questioning look from his results and back.

“That would be fine,” Harry agreed, giving Professor Sprout a shrug as he took a seat on the closest bed, “At least this way, I get a night without listening to half the dorm snoring.”

Poppy quickly locked up and warded the door, casting something at each of the portraits and windows before turning back to Harry with an anxious look.

“Have you had a full physical done elsewhere, Mister Potter?”

“The goblins insisted after several irregularities were detected in my vaults,” Harry said warily but decided to trust the woman.

“Thank Acesco,” she gasped, sagging onto a bed, “You must think very badly of me, but when I took the evidence of your abuse to the headmaster, he spelled me silent. I can only speak of it to someone who already knows about the situation. I kept trying to warn people but couldn’t get the words out.”

“My account manager is helping to cleanse the targeted students. I’m going to see him on Saturday night. Come with me and get scanned, they might be able to remove the curse.”

“Dumbledore is a very powerful wizard, Harry. If he knows you have caught on, he could hurt you.”

“If he tries, I will leave. I have houses waiting and ready. You could leave now if you wanted.” Harry offered to give the woman a chance to escape if she could.

“No, no, someone has to watch over the children. I won’t leave them in danger while I’m able. I’ll need to get busy then. I’ve been making copies and notes of the student’s files, and the Aurors will need them if you go to trial.” She said with a determined nod.

“Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I know this is a risk you are taking.”

“A risk I have been praying for since I came to Hogwarts. If we can cleanse the school in my lifetime, I will be able to retire happily.”

“We are working on it, Madame Pomfrey.”

“Poppy, please." she insisted with a wry smile, “You have stayed in my ward enough over the years to use my name in private.”