Author's Note: In the previous chapter, Harry accidentally said that Antioch Peverell, the oldest of the three brothers, was the owner of the Resurrection Stone. Of course, he was actually the owner of the Elder Wand and it was Cadmus Peverell, the middle brother, that actually owned the Resurrection Stone.

Winter slowly turned into spring. Slytherin lost their Quidditch match against Ravenclaw (sixty points to one hundred ninety) but won their one against Hufflepuff (two hundred ten points to thirty) and Gryffindor won their match against Hufflepuff (two hundred fifty points to forty). Ron had his twelfth birthday on the first of March and the AA celebrated the event, gifting him with a pair of Keeper gloves, a ring identical to the one they'd given Theodore, and a Chudley Cannon poster. After that, Hermione became rather obsessed with studying for the end-of-year exams, even though they were over two months away. As Harry had attended school with her for a year-and-a-half previously, he was used to her worrying over schoolwork and exams, but her worry this time was worse than at primary school. The other Ravenclaws in the AA weren't as worked up over the matter as she was, even though they were more prone to obsess over schoolwork compared to the others in the AA.

When Ron pointed out that they still had plenty of time before the exams and asked what Hermione was studying for, as she already knew it all, she retorted, "What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me..."

Harry. Ron, and Neville exchanged disbelieving looks, since she hadn't been that worked up about end-of-year exams for primary school last year. Then again, it might have been simply the knowledge that she was going to be attending Hogwarts and her marks at a Muggle school wasn't a factor for a wizarding school that kept her from being so obsessed. Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements, and the other Ravenclaws (who took the homework assignments very seriously) caught some of her obsessiveness and joined in the studying. This led to the rest of the AA spending most of their free time in the library or the Room of Requirement with them, trying to get through all their extra work and revising.

Partway through the holidays, Lia sent Harry a letter advising him that spending all his free time studying wasn't healthy and that he and his friends should take breaks every so often (other than mealtimes and sleeping). With that in mind, he told the others about it, and conceding that Lia had a point, Hermione put in to the revising schedule she'd drawn up for the AA an hour of rest time to take place every other day after dinner and for two hours in the afternoon on weekends. Thereafter, on one of the weekend days, the AA would use their free time to go down to visit Hagrid, who was quite happy to recount to them about his first year at Hogwarts and how he had dealt with exam time. He also ended up telling a few more stories about his second and third years, but refused to explain why he was expelled at the end of his third year. The AA didn't press the subject, but he did inadvertently let drop that he had been framed (for something or other) when saying that Professor Dumbledore had stood behind him and gotten him the post as gamekeeper (though in the beginning, Hagrid had merely been the gamekeeper-in-training under the gamekeeper at the time, a man named Ogg, and only took on the full post upon Ogg's retirement).

After that visit, the AA wondered what Hagrid could have been framed for that resulted in him being expelled. "Sirius said the Marauders asked Hagrid that question once, but he refused to answer then too," Ron said. "Maybe once exams are over, we could see if the library has any old copies of the Daily Prophet from when Hagrid was expelled that could explain what happened."

"I don't know," Harry said doubtfully. "I don't think Hagrid would appreciate us digging into his past, since he clearly doesn't want to talk about it. If I don't want to talk about my past with my Muggle relatives, then think how he feels."

Ron turned scarlet and muttered an apology, while the AA members that didn't know the details of Harry's time with his relatives, other than that they were unpleasant people that hated magic and Harry had to be adopted by his godparents, exchanged looks. None of them would ever pry, but they were smart enough to read between the lines of what Harry did and didn't say about it to figure out that the Dursleys had been neglectful at best and abusive at worst to him. (Though any abuse couldn't have been too extreme, considering how well-adjusted he was currently.)

Harry caught the looks and sighed. "Yes, my relatives were horrible people and treated me awfully. Now, stop looking like that, please. I healed and got over it, thanks to Aunt Lia rescuing me from it, her friend Healer Ellie giving me mind-healing sessions, and Hermione's and Ron's parents showing me how children ought to be treated by their guardians. Oh, and thanks also goes to Mrs. Figg, who used to baby-sit me when my relatives were away and was the one to report the situation to Aunt Lia."

All this did was just make the AA exchange uncomfortable looks with each other, especially Dean and Justin, who having grown up in the Muggle world had a good idea of the circumstances that would result in a report being made to Social Services. Finally Hermione, in a falsely bright tone of voice, exclaimed, "Oh, look at that cloud! Doesn't it look like a bird?"

Harry eagerly seized on the change in subject to agree with her, saying that he thought the cloud looked rather eagle-like, and the others slowly chimed in with their opinions on the shape of the cloud for the rest of the walk back to the castle.

The weeks passed and towards the end of May, on the twenty-eighth, Harry and Ron got a message via the two-way mirror from Sirius and Lia letting them know that the baby had arrived earlier that day. They had a son, named Matthew Regulus as decided previously, and planned to have a christening ceremony the Saturday after the school year ended. Remus was to stand as godfather and Ellie as godmother. Meanwhile, the rest of the AA (with the exceptions of Harry, Neville, and Daphne, whose birthdays were all in the summer) had all celebrated their twelfth birthdays.

June and exam time was shortly upon the first years. It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their exam papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell. They also had practical exams. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see iff they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox - points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Professor Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember (in what Theodore muttered was a bit of irony) how to make a Forgetfulness potion. Eric, or rather Professor Vicks, just had them each demonstrate the simple jinxes and defensive spells they had learned that year on a dummy, giving extra credit to those that could also cast any second-year defensive spells.

The first years' very last exam was History of Magic. One hour off answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, all the students cheered.

"That was far easier than I thought it wouid be," said Hermione as the AA joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny ground. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

"I told you that you already knew it all," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe next time you'll believe me, Hermione."

"Just because you were proven right in this instance doesn't mean that the same will hold true next year, Ronald," Hermione retorted. "Anyway, for question three, I think I may have put in some extra information in my answer about - "

"Stop!" interrupted Tracey. "I know you and the other Ravenclaws like going through our exam papers afterward, Hermione, but the rest of us don't really care to do that. Can we just relax outside, and you four Ravenclaws can discuss the exams on your own later?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tracey," apologized Hermione. "It is nice to relax after the stress of exams, isn't it?"

The AA wandered over to the lake and sat down under a couple of trees. A short distance away, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. The group watched for a few minutes and then they began speculating as whether Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would win the final Quidditch match of the year, which would determine who would win the Quidditch and strongly impact which house won the House Cup. The Gryffindor Keeper was definitely better than the Ravenclaw one, but both teams' Chasers were about equally good, though so far Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor had outscored Roger Davies of Ravenclaw. Neither one of their Seekers were particularly outstanding, however, so it would be more due to luck as to whom would catch the Snitch.

"If you'd been Sorted into Gryffindor, Harry, there wouldn't be much question," Parvati said. "Assuming of course that Professor McGonagall bent the rules to let you play as a first year."

"Considering the fact that she's really into Quidditch and is determined to see Gryffindor win?" Ron pointed out. "There's no assume about it. She'd definitely have fixed it for Harry to play if he'd been Gryffindor."

"Well, Professor McGonagall is just going to have to resign herself to Gryffindor losing and Slytherin no doubt winning next year," said Daphne. "That is, if you're going to try out for the Slytherin team, Harry. Flint did say that he wanted you as Seeker next year, since you're so good."

"Don't worry, I'm going to play," Harry assured her. "I love Quidditch and flying in general, and it's one of the few things I know I'm good at."

"Come on, you're good at plenty of things," Neville said. "Just because you're not the best at almost everything the way Hermione is doesn't mean you're bad at stuff."

The final Quidditch match of the year was an exciting one, and lasted for an hour and fifteen minutes, before the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch when it happened to fly in her direction and fluttered next to her sleeve. Gryffindor won the match, three hundred seventy points to two hundred ten, and the Quidditch Cup. Captain Oliver Wood was jubilant at the win, to the point that he was practically crying in joy, and Professor McGonagall was just as emotional.

A few days after that was the end-of-year feast and the announcement of which house won the House Cup. The points had been pretty close, thanks to the AA working together throughout the year and inspiring a number of the older students to do the same, but in the end, the Quidditch Cup results had mostly determined how things turned out. The Great Hall was decked out in the Gryffindor colors of red and gold to celebrate their winning the House Cup (and breaking Slytherin's winning streak of six years in a row). A huge banner showing the Gryffindor lion covered the wall behind the High Table. When Professor Dumbledore arrived to start things, the babble died away.

"Another year gone!" he said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezzing waffle before we wink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been. Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were...you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with four hundred and thirty-two; in third, Slytherin, with four hundred and thirty-five; Ravenclaw has four hundred and forty-one, and Gryffindor, four hundred and seventy-four."

The Gryffindor table broke out in a storm of cheers, but before it could get very far, Dumbledore interrupted. "Yes, yes, well done, Gryffindor. However, after the splendid display of inter-house cooperation and unity shown this year, I think it would be most beneficial if it were continued with the awarding off the House Cup."

The room went very still as all the students suddenly looked puzzled at this and the teachers exchanged confused looks.

"Since the group known as the Amity Association was instrumental in bringing about the display of unity," continued Dumbledore, "I believe the acknowledgement and reward of their efforts should be used to further house cooperation. So therefore, for their actions, I award twenty-six points to the four Gryffindors in the group, fifty-nine points to the four Ravenclaws, sixty-five points to the four Slytherins, and sixty-eight points to the four Hufflepuffs. I believe that results in five hundred points each for all four-houses, and therefore a four-way tie?"

While the AA wasn't really displeased at the idea of their efforts being rewarded and doing away with house rivalry outside of Quidditch, the rest of the school couldn't say the same. There were shocked or upset protests from many of the students, and a few Gryffindors shot glares at the members of the AA that they could see. Professor McGonagall leaned over to protest, and the other teachers (except for Professor Snape, who actually looked mildly pleased, probably due to Gryffindor no longer being the clear winner) exchanged shocked looks.

"That is enough!" Dumbledore said firmly after a couple minutes of babble. "I have made up my mind and the result still stands. All four houses are tied with five hundred points each and we shall celebrate the inter-house cooperation, which I hope will continue in the following years. Also, as it is a tie, you are all allowed to intermingle with each other regardless of house." He clapped his hands and three-quarters of the red and gold hangings changed to green and silver, blue and bronze, and yellow and black. The huge Gryffindor lion vanished and a towering copy off the Hogwarts crest took its place.

With that, the feast commenced, though nobody (other than the AA and some of the students who took the view that this was better than having Gryffindor being the outright winner) was really in the mood to celebrate the strange turn of events. Certainly inter-house cooperation and unity was a good thing and many of the students liked it, but they still preferred having there be a clear winner of the House Cup and not a four-way tie in which no house lost or won. However, the food was excellent and Professor Dumbledore had made it clear that things would stand, so eventually the school cheered up and decided to celebrate the house unity. A few people, mostly Gryffindors that embodied the negative traits of their house and were upset at not being the clear winner after all, were still annoyed and grumbled against the AA, but otherwise the students had gotten over their shock and/or disappointment.

For the AA (who had taken advantage of being allowed to intermingle by all sitting at the Hufflepuff table), once they had gotten over their surprise, it was the best evening of their lives. They hadn't been too enthused with the idea that only one house would win the House Cup. Certainly the three-quarters of them from houses that didn't win would be happy for the one-quarter of them from the house that did, but they had wondered if it would be better if all four houses had done equally well. They spent the evening chatting happily with each other.

Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still the come (thanks to the events of the end-of-year feast), but come they did. The entire AA passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years, except for Herbology, where Neville narrowly beat her in. Draco Malfoy looked disgruntled when he heard the AA comparing their results at breakfast, and Theodore (who had managed to get a quick look at Malfoy's exam results) whispered to the others that the other Slytherin hadn't done that well (though certainly not as bad as Crabbe and Goyle, who had just barely managed to scrape a pass).

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating sweets as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles. Justin told the rest of the AA that his parents had said that they could all visit for a couple of weeks, and Harry added that they were all invited for his birthday party. Neville added that if he could convince his grandmother to host a birthday party, they were all invited as well and Daphne said that as her birthday was in August, she planned to have it coincide with the trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies. The AA agreed to meet up then as well (if their parents/guardians okayed it).

Out in the station, Sirius, Lia, and Remus were there to get Harry. "Ellie and Tristan volunteered to baby-sit Matt so that I could be here to meet you, Harry," Lia explained. "They said it would be good practice for when they have a kid of their own." In the almost month since the birth, she had lost most of her pregnancy weight.

"How's Matt?" Harry asked as he followed his godparents and Remus out the station. "I can't wait to properly meet him."

"He's driving us a little crazy," Sirius said, half-jokingly. "You know, by crying in the middle of night and waking us up. Right now Lia and I are taking turns dealing with Matt when he cries at night, but once Lia's maternity leave is over, I'll end up having to deal with most of it. Unless...I could have Eric do it."

"Sirius!" exclaimed Lia. "Eric's hired to be our solicitor, not nanny! Besides, he doesn't have the first idea of how to care for a baby. But Mum has offered to help us, since she's taken care of seven babies of her own and will have plenty of free time now that Ginny's starting Hogwarts the next school year."

"Thank Merlin for that," Sirius said. "I'd be tearing my hair out over how to care for Matt if Molly and Arthur weren't so helpful and full of advice. Oh, Harry, the Weasleys are coming over for dinner, so Ron, Percy, and the twins can meet their 'nephew', and so are the Grangers."

Harry was happy to hear that and couldn't wait to get home.

Author's Note: Well, Harry's first year at Hogwarts is over. This concludes the fic and the sequel, The AA and the Duplicitous Diary, is out now if you wish to read it.