I just wanted to thank JK for her world, and her continued generosity with it! These are her toys! I own any OC's that appear, they're MINE ALL MINE! BWahahahaaah! Sorry little touch of megalomania there. So enjoy my take on the continuing saga of the epilogue to DH.

Chapter Notes: I feel that I need to resolve some questions that were dredged up by the last Chapter immediately so as to not lose readers. I was not targeting anyone when I said I had readers who don't like things open-ended, I just thought I was stating fact. I hope anyone offended will accept my apologies, here is a Chapter less than four days later to help get things back on track.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Thanks for your reading so far, stay with me!

Bart

Albus Potter and the Year of the Badger

Chapter 13: Perspective Gained

Albus spent the rest of the day with Scorpius, down at the Quidditch pitch trying out his broom. He was enjoying flying so much; he was beginning to wonder what he had ever done with out it.

While Albus was decent, by his own reckoning, when Scorpius took over his broom, the way he flew was breathtaking!

The boy just soared.

Albus wasn't sure what the difference was between what he could do, and what Scorpius had innately, but it was there.

They were interrupted, when Professor Pharrel showed up in the stands with a broom in his hand. They tried not to show eagerness by walking toward him, but soon they were racing each other.

Pharrel beamed, as he held the stick out to Scorpius.

It was a Twigger 99.

Albus' heart fell.

Twiggers were sub par at best. They finally fixed their warping problems a few years back, and made some amazing strides in manoeuvrability, but they were still too slow for a Quidditch pitch.

Pharrel didn't notice the disappointed looks he was getting, as he handed the stick over. "My friend who flies with the Worchester Wizards Synchronised Flying Brigade, said it was the best broom he had ever flown." he said with a big smile.

Scorpius was diplomatic, "Thanks professor, I'm sure it will be great."

Pharrel nodded jovially and bustled off.

Albus hissed, "Worchester Wizards Synchronised Flying Brigade? Is he mental?"

He turned to Scorpius, "You'll have to use my broom, that's all there is too it. I'll take the Twigger."

Scorpius, who had been studying the broom shot Albus a look so scathing, he was sure he had a burn mark in his robes.

"I'll make this work, Potter, I do not need your charity!"

Albus got heated. "Fine you arrogant, snobby git, good luck!"

He stormed off, his broom clutched in his hand, blasting by Rose who had been reading a book in the stands. He took his life in his hands as he held a hand rudely up to her face to stop her queries walking out

Heading back to Hogwarts, he just couldn't calm down. The rage that had been unleashed by that Dragon chase was still with him; he didn't realize he had wandered over to Hagrid's hut until he wound up at the edge of his Pumpkin patch. With a roar he kicked one of the Pumpkins.

"Hold on!"

Albus suddenly came to himself as Hagrid strolled over.

"Alby, what do ya think yer doin?" He growled.

Albus was immediately ashamed.

"I'm so sorry Hagrid, I didn't mean to," he murmured.

Hagrid patted him on the back so hard Albus saw white stars a moment or two.

"S'ok Alby, but yer need to get better control than that ah'right?"

Albus nodded.

He walked up to the Hogwarts common, feeling confused about the rage he had just felt. It wasn't justified by the situation. He needed to get this Hippogriff back in its pen before he hurt somebody.

He suddenly remembered how he had felt the day of the great bludger catastrophe, after Rose gave him that Calming Draught.

He wondered if he could brew himself some more.

He went back to the Cellar to stow his broom, and pick up his potions book and kit of basic ingredients, added his pewter cauldron and went back to the kitchen. The house elves were more than happy to let him borrow a burner on one of the bigger stoves, away from the line of sight of any stray Hufflepuffs passing through. He felt guilty for lying, when he told them it was for homework.

He flipped through the book and found another Calming Draught recipe; this one had longer-term affects but was more complicated to brew, still not out of his limited ability though.

He added ingredients, stirred counter clockwise, add another with a half stir back clockwise. It was so comforting, the adding of the ingredients and the stirring, he was actually enjoying himself every time he looked his potion was the right shade. Finally he reached the end and took a look. According to the book illustration, it was perfect. He poured it into several phials and secreted them in his potion case.

Back in the bunkroom, he had just put his ingredients up in his locker, and took his first sip when Scorpius came through the door looking sweaty but triumphant. He walked over to his bed and grabbed some clean robes and began passing by, when he paused, not even looking at Albus, ears flushed. "Sorry if I snapped at you Albus."

Albus was feeling the calming effects already. "It's ok, and the offer's still open."

Scorpius turned just enough to show Albus that cold, aristocratic Malfoy face, "You just don't get it, do you?"

Albus shook his head. "Tell me."

Scorpius sighed. "I don't have much left of a family right now, but I am still a Malfoy. A Malfoy finds his own way."

Albus considered that. "It must be lonely being a Malfoy then."

Scorpius left without another word.

The next day was a blur, with Quidditch try-outs on the immediate horizon.

Albus had no more outbreaks of anger, as a matter of fact when James and Fred spelled his hair Slytherin green and wrote "The Next Dark Lord" on his back while at breakfast in the Great Hall, he barely noticed. Rose eyed him indignantly, but he couldn't be bothered.

For the first time in his life, he wasn't a mess of nerves, it felt wonderful.

Double Potions with Ravenclaws was a breeze. Albus, who left his hair green, was now adding the potion ingredients while Scorpius stirred. Albus' sleeve caught on fire, and he almost didn't notice until Scorpius put it out.

"What's wrong with you today Potter?" he murmured.

Albus gave him innocent eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Scorpius looked flabbergasted.

The flying class, now moved inside the Hogwarts Courtyard, went off without a hitch that afternoon.

Rose and Scorpius were giving him strange looks the rest of the day, but he just didn't care.

The next morning, he was surprised to see Scorpius awake before him; sitting on his own bed, arms crossed, staring right at Albus.

Albus wiped the sleep out of his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Scorpius waited until their bunkmates had cleared out, then held out vials of potion to Albus, they were his Calming Draught.

"You went through my stuff?" Albus shouted.

Scorpius looked unrepentant, "Rose was right. She said you looked like you did before the Bludgers went mad. One day you're snapping at me and storming off, and was rude to Rose, then suddenly the very next day, you start acting like a mindless Inferi!"

Albus glared at him, the anger was stirring. "And that gives you the right to rummage in my locker?"

Scorpius for once dropped the cold arrogance. He looked scared. "You're my only friend. Something's really wrong with you. I wanted to know what."

Albus sighed. He tried to stop being angry, but he just couldn't seem to. "I need that potion, Scorpius." His hands started clenching of their own accord.

Scorpius wasn't budging. "Rose is out in the Common Room right now waiting for us. She's just as worried as I am, maybe more so."

"Why!" Albus snapped.

"Because we want our Albus back you git!" Scorpius shot back.

Albus' emotions started to pour out of him in a rush; he started crying. It felt like a panic attack but worse. He lay back on the bed and curled into a ball, paralysed. He didn't know what was wrong with him.

Scorpius looked alarmed, "I'll get Rose, hang on!"

It seemed just a second later when Rose was there, she had a rag she had wet in the refilling wash basin, held to his forehead. Scorpius was hovering nearby.

The events of the last few days came gushing out of Albus in sporadic, broken sentences.

The Dragon chasing him, his reaction, threatening Uncle Charlie, taking a swing at Uncle Charlie, his anger, the dream, what he could remember of it. And finally, like sprinkles on the tart, what happened with the broom.

In the aftermath, Scorpius and Rose sat in shocked silence. Neither knew what to say. Albus didn't blame them, it was all so crazy.

Rose, as was typical, broke the tension, "Give me a swig of that Calming Draught Scorpius, I think I need it."

Albus started giggling, the other two followed suit until the laughter was almost hysterical. Between sniggers and relapses, Albus managed to apologize.

They both looked at each other, and rolled their eyes like he needn't have bothered. In that moment Albus knew he would do anything for these two.

They tested that, by making him pour out all of his Calming Draught in a lavatory sink.

After he came back out Rose placed her hands on his shoulders and looked Albus in the eye. "If I ever find out you're abusing Calming Draught again, I will tell your parents. You can hate me the rest of your life, but I love my Albus, nerves and all. We'll be your Calming Draught, Okay?"

She glared at Scorpius. He looked back confused, until she mouthed something to him.

"Erm, yes. Stay out of the Calming Draught, Albus, you're a mental little git, and we like you that way."

Rose glared at him, he shrugged, confused. "What?"

Violence might have ensued, but Dominique rushing up interrupted them.

"Where have you two been? I checked you classes. This wasn't the right day to skive off!"

Dom wasn't one to lecture, so this outburst made Albus nervous, his hand immediately sought out the pocket where he had secreted the last Calming Draught. But his hand fell away at Dom's next words.

"It's Granddad Weasley, they rushed him to St. Mungos with chest pain this morning! Professor Shacklebolt's given us the day, to sort it out. Everybody else has already flooed from the Headmaster's Office. "

Scorpius urged them to leave immediately; his face had a strange expression.

Albus and Rose ran all the way up to the Headmaster's, Felix and Felicis didn't even bicker as they let them by.

Less than an hour later Albus was sitting with his parents, his head on his mother's lap, she was running her hand comfortingly through his hair, James on his other side with Fred, looking pale. It seemed that something like this could unite even two bickering brothers, like he and James. This was the longest he and his brother had been together in the same room without a conflict, in recent memory.

Albus was watching one of his favourite sources of entertainment. It was the Lily, Hugo, and Louis Show.

The threesome were different, to say the least, apart, but when you put them together, it was pure hilarity.

Over by where Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermoine and Rose were quietly catching up, Lily was brushing her thick red hair and chatting cheerfully about how she was sure Granddad was fine, flighty and bomb proof as usual. Her equally red-haired cousin Hugo was grim, no surprise there, wondering if there was a family plot to bury him in, and would he suffer before the inevitable. Their strawberry-blond cousin Louis, the best-looking boy out of all the Weasley grandkids and he knew it, was speculating about how he would look in black.

The rest of the uncles and aunts were arrayed all over the waiting room. The St. Mungos staff had gone through enough Weasley family emergencies to know, yes, people did have these many children, so they didn't check ID's this time.

Albus noticed among his Uncles, between Bill and Percy, was Uncle Charlie, staring at him strangely.

The silence was broken when Aunt Audrey, a Head Healer at Mungos, breezed in. Percy's wife had short curly brown hair above twinkling blue eyes, behind fashionable wire rim frames. She was very attractive, which led to speculation about Percy's love potion brewing abilities at every family gathering, showing her ever-present smile.

Waiting until all eyes were on her she quipped, "Does anyone here know where your Granddad got a hold of Haggis?"

Percy let out a sigh, which was followed by a burst of jubilation.

"It was just heart burn." Audrey said anticlimactically.

Suddenly there was a very loud voice from down the hallway.

"YOU SAW A MUGGLE VENDOR ON THE STREET SELLING IT, AND JUST HAD TO TRY SOME?"

Audrey winked, "Since the kids are here, and we don't know the next time we'll see Charlie, I think we all should adjourn to The Burrow and visit, have some lunch. Molly and Arthur will be along in a little while."

They all nodded and began to file toward the St. Mungos visitor's floo. Waiting his turn in the fireplace, Albus saw Uncle Percy making arrangements with the insurance wizard. That was his uncle, always working behind the scenes, unnoticed, taking care of his family. Just one of the reasons Albus admired him so much.

Grandma Molly and a very chastened Granddad arrived after he was discharged with Aunt Audrey and Uncle Percy in tow. By that time it was nearly lunch.

It wasn't long before the grandchildren were being fussed over by Grandma Weasley.

She especially grilled Albus and Rose about what happened last Tuesday. She then shook her head in disgust at how dangerous that school was getting, and then bustled off to over-see the cooking.

His Aunt Audrey grabbed Albus in a bone-crushing hug like she hadn't seen him for years, but that was her way. Uncle Percy, however, just nodded solemnly, shook his hand and informed Albus that the ministry was indeed looking closely into bludger safety. Audrey comically rolled her eyes behind his back, causing Albus to almost lose it.

Aunt Angelina arrived last with Uncle George, having stopped by the shop first, accompanied with the usual fanfare in which he was accustomed. He had a brand-new fake ear to show off.

After that the luncheon began.

Uncle Charlie was, of course, the star. All conversation seemed to centre on him, and then suddenly the tide of conversation took an abrupt turn.

The question seemed harmless. Uncle Bill asked, "Surprised to be back in England before Christmas, Charlie?"

Charlie looked right at Albus.

Albus' blood ran cold.

"Oh this is my second time in less than a week. I heard my nephew was playing Quidditch in his first year. First time that's happened since his dad. So I came up to make sure he's up to it."

They all stared at Charlie in shock, all except Albus' mum and dad, who looked like Albus felt.

Grandma Weasley was staring daggers at them.

An hour later after the dust settled, with Grandma Weasley banging around the kitchen fixing dessert, and loudly mumbling to under her breath, but loud enough for the entire family to hear, about that "Quidditch Madness" she would never understand, James' made the declaration that his brother couldn't play Quidditch, because that would require him to actually touch a broom.

Aunt Angelina responded by kicking James' shin under the table, she had had plenty of practice over the years. She simultaneously sent her son, Fred, a warning glare.

Charlie, who had evidentially been waiting for such an opportunity, dropped a bomb. "Not only can Albus fly, but I am willing to wager six galleons, against all takers, that he can out fly any student in this room."

They all gaped at him.

Albus tried to send Uncle Charlie a look, but his uncle was staring at the one most likely to take that wager. Uncle Percy.

It was well known in the family that Percy doted on his daughters. At almost every family get-together, in the last three years , he had managed to bring up that they were the best scoring Chaser duo that Hogwarts had seen in quite a while. They were every bit as good as he said they were, but with his gambler's streak, he was ripe for such a bet.

Uncle Percy's eyes rested on Albus, "Sorry Albie, but I've got to take these odds, but only if you feel up to it."

Albus stowed his hand to his pocket feeling for the last potion. The pocket was empty. Rose, who was suddenly beside him, looked guilty. "You can do it Albus, you don't need a potion, just believe in yourself, you dumb prat!" she whispered.

They were all looking at Albus, his stomach gave a lurch, and his hands were trembling, but he thought, A Badger may never make a challenge, but they will do their best to meet it. Besides it's only one of the sisters after all.

Albus nodded.

That was how Albus wound up on the edge of the orchard with an old Comet 290 beside both Molly and Lucy. He was glaring at his Uncle Charlie, silently repenting having ever apologizing for sticking a wand in his face. His uncle just looked back with a wry smile on his face.

It was his idea to double the bet to include both sisters, after all.

Albus' dad had refused James' request for money to bet against Albus, and he and Albus' mum were nodding their encouragement, knuckles white, as they held each other.

His little sister Lily, standing with Granddad and Uncle Ron, chipper as always, called out, "Don't die Albus, I'd miss you something awful!" Hugo not to be out done yelled, "And don't hit any birds, it's their orchard too!" Louis joined in the fun, "If you die, don't hit your face, you want to look good for ze funeral!"

"Thanks, guys," Albus responded.

His Granddad Arthur, whose baldhead was safely under a straw hat, gave Albus a wink of encouragement. Albus thought about what could have happened today. What he could be doing right now, instead. That thought put this race into perspective. There were bigger stakes in this world than pride and money.

He stared ahead and focused.

Uncle Bill pulled out his wand, and with a flick, sent sparks into the air.

Albus kicked off, a split second behind the sisters, both with Impervius charms in front of their mouths, so they could blow bubbles in the wind with their ever-present gum.

Their long flowing red hair trailed behind them, as they took the lead.

Albus' brain went into top gear, as the trees whirled by on both sides. The possibilities were flooding through his faculties.

Molly and Lucy were fast, definitely faster than him, so he wasn't going to outrun them. They worked together like only twins can, so trying to fake them out wasn't going to help him get by. They were also fanatically competitive, so Albus couldn't imagine either of them taking pity on him. To add insult to injury they had momentum.

Competitive. Sisters. Momentum.

Those words rang in his ear, as an idea suddenly took root.

Albus slowed down.

They were close to the end of the orchard and the turning around point, and they were expanding their lead. As they spun around and headed past him on the way back and saw how far back he was they grinned at each other. Albus waited until they had passed, then suddenly kicked his broom into high gear, using his newfound ability to make tight turns to gain speed on the way back.

His plan relied on two things happening, them forgetting about him, and that they would act like sisters.

Sure enough, as he began to close on them, they began to attempt to get ahead. They bumped each other for position and were so focused on each other that they didn't realize that they were losing momentum. Albus closed faster than he would have thought possible, suddenly they realised he was closing, and moved to block him. If they managed to do that he would lose. If he went high he would lose, there was no room below, and if he tried to go around he would lose momentum as well. So he lowered his head called for every bit of speed he could muster and aimed for the middle. They didn't expect him to try to split and he managed to get his stick in between, soon it became a battle of nerve and, tenacity. I don't have the nerve, but nobody is more tenacious than a Badger! Albus thought. He lowered himself onto the broom and put all the will he had into it, managing to get the tip of his broom out front, just as they crossed the line.

His relatives were cheering; especially Uncle Percy, who had yet to notice how steamed Aunt Audrey was that he lost yet another bet. Uncle Charlie gave him thumbs up.

Later on, Albus was sitting outside in a circle of chairs in the newly de-gnomed garden with the rest, as they reminisced about old times.

His attention was peaked when Charlie said, "I remember carrying Albus out of that very orchard, the day of the broom accident. The boy has come quite a ways, hasn't he now."

Albus looked across the circle at his uncle. Their eyes met. Albus suddenly realized that maybe there were two persons in his dream, and his uncle didn't realize it.

His uncle winked, and Albus smiled, feeling better somehow. The dream was still strange, but it helped to know it was actually Uncle Charlie he was talking to that night. Questions still remained but at least he knew that much.

Later before they headed back to Hogwarts Uncle Charlie gave him a big hug, and said into his ear, "I had to get the price of that broom back somehow. I'm proud of you, boy."

"Could you be, a little less proud from now on?" Albus said slyly.

Charlie barked out a loud laugh and ruffled Albus' recently re-combed hair, much to his chagrin.

Albus gave his Granddad a big hug. His whiskers were rough against Albus' cheek. "Watch out for those street vendors, Granddad," he said with a chuckle. His Granddad's blue eyes twinkled as he said under his breath, "Well, don't tell your Grand mum, but there is this nice fellow, down by the Thames, doing some marvellous things with Halibut and Chips."

Albus rolled his eyes, and hugged him even harder, thinking about how he almost lost his sweet, bumbling, lovable Granddad today.

There are worse things that can happen to me in this world, than having a strange prophetic dream.

Thought for the day: Not really a thought. Just a memory. My Grandpa Bailey had the roughest whiskers ever put on a man's chin, and he loved to rub them on squealing grandchildren like sandpaper! I miss that. This Chapter is dedicated to all the quirky, nutty, enigmatic, loving grandfathers out there, especially my own!