He drops his arm around her in a familiar gesture of just two friends hanging out. That's all they are, after all. He gently tugs on her hair. "If he keeps growing, he'll pass you up, squirt." Only he can get away with saying things like that. Anyone else? Would lose a tooth.

Besides, he's in the middle of a growth spurt too. He's put on six inches over the summer, and his Mum despairs of him not putting on more while he's away at school.

"He'd better make nice with the house elves then." He says, seriously. They were allowed in the kitchens, allowed into that sacred space of house elven work and play. But, they were nice to the house elves and only abused that privilege a little.

"Think he'll be a 'Claw?"