A Summer at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Quickly jotting a response to Kingsley you thank him for his assistance. There were a few ways to stay out of the Gaunt Shack for the summer, but the best reason of all was staying at Hogwarts between terms. When you were older there were internships. Until then Hogwarts was probably the safest place. With Tom Riddle at large the shack would probably not be safe, if a **** Eater came by you would have no means of defending yourself.

Taking your registration forms, you carefully set them aside to give to Professor McGonagal in the morning. The others start talking about their exciting plans for the rest of the summer.

Garreth is going with his father on a backpacking trip through Scotland. Ezra is heading home to meet with his dad, and his fiancee. Apparently arranged marriages were common in Middle Eastern Wizarding families. They had more purebloods that then west, something they were still very proud of.

Raj was planning on going to the States, apparently he has some family there, and he was planning a visit. The whole dorm seems pretty excited to see their families again. You try not to be jealous. After all you have a family, you just want nothing to do with them.

"What about you Marvolo?" asks Garreth "What are you gonna do over the summer? Any plans with the old family."

The room goes silent. Raj coughs awkwardly and Ezra tries his best reassuring smile.

"Marvolo's family is uhh not around." Ezra tries diplomatically. "They're all gone..."

"That's not true," You say, laughing. "At least one of them is in jail."

Garreth chokes,"What?"

"I mean my dad is a bit of a ... dark wizard." you admit. "Why do you think everyone looks at me weird?"

"I didn't know." says Garreth white as a ghost.

"Oh, come now." Ezra says irately. "He hasn't been scary all year, don't act like he's scary now."

Garreth is hit in the face by Ezra's pipllow, artfully launched through the air at his face. Conversation resumes, and is much more lighthearted, until finally sleep takes you.

In the morning, you wake to find everyone already lugging their trunks down into the Common Room, where they will be labelled and shipped to their respective homes.

You take your paperwork down to the first floor, to Professor McGonagal's office. You find the door closed, and you knock, your nerves playing havoc with you.

The large oak door swings open revealing a tired, but alert Professor McGonagal.

"Master Gaunt, shouldn't you be packing up?" She asks. "The Express leaves in an hour."

Unable to really find the words to say you hand the Deputy Headmistress the forms. She takes them and looks them over.

"This is a little unusual, Master Gaunt. These were due last week. I suppose it would be unusually cruel to send you home, given You-Know-Who's confirmed existence..." She turns and places the forms on her desk.

You smile and turn to go.

"However!" she calls after you. "Do not expect this to be a fun summer, if you are going to stay in Hogwarts you are going to work. There is much that needs to be done to prepare the school for the start of term, and all hands are needed."

You don't really mind, as you need a good break from school work and mystery solving anyways.