It had been three glorious days since he had escaped his family and dreary and dismal England. Harry Potter was truly happy. In the past happiness was always fleeting, snatched moments in time, but here he was relaxed, at ease and without a single incident to spoil this idyll. The island where Sirius Black had made his home since his acquittal and was now home to three seventeen year olds and Hermione's parent's and the occasional home of the other surviving marauder and chief werewolf. The Isla del Muerte had been discovered in the seventeenth century, by Ignoble Barnabus Black, Captain of the Sloop the Alchemist's Art, an early explorer, privateer and merchant. The island, if it had been plotable, would have been part of the Bahamas, but it was not visible to any except those keyed into the wards. The island reminded Harry of Neverland with Sirius now living the life of the pirate captain. The native population thrived, having been spared the outbreaks of the Small Pox and Syphilis which had eradicated the native populations on the other islands.
The young man had developed a liking for the local rum and was currently lying on a hammock and reminiscing on his days at Hogwarts but he would not miss it. His head of house was a frigid, unapproachable bitch, most of his housemates were complete gits and Ronald Weasley had been a bully from day one. He'd survived the Headmaster's little tests in first year with the help of Hermione and Neville, he'd saved Ginny Weasley from Tom Riddle in Second Year but had the good sense to scarper back to the dorms before anyone could question him about it. He had thought the girl would have become friends with him and the other Hogwarts Rejects after that, but Weaselette had gained a certain popularity by being an absolute hussy. Harry smiled to himself as he remembered how he'd met and freed his Godfather in third year. The fact his mother had let his godfather stew in prison for twelve years without the benefit of a trial said so much about Lily Evans Snape. He had taken Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as his chosen electives, but had quickly dropped Muggle Studies. In fourth year, he'd come a respectable second place in the Triwizard Tournament after the shock of his forced entry. No one really paid him much attention anyway. He was a weedy, unsociable loner. Considering the winner had disappeared and was presumed dead, murdered by Voldemort. Not winning had been a lucky escape, Harry had nearly been killed by Professor Moody in a rage that night. As the highest placed survivor Harry had been handed the 1000 galleon prize money, as the grieving Diggory's considered it Blood Money. Harry had used this wealth to fund a business venture with the Weasley twins, a wise move considering Snape had demanded the money as soon as he had arrived back from the Dursley's from his two weeks that were never quite as bad as the Snape household, If someone had told him that anywhere could be worse than the Dursley's when he was 11, he would not have believed them. His Aunt and Uncle had warmed to him slightly when at the age of 12 he had confessed his deepest wish was not to be a freak like his mother. Petunia had cried and patted his arm slightly, he could not help who his parent's were. At least he could spend part of the summer in the normal world.
The summer after Cedric's untimely death had one spectacular high point, when Sirius had captured the rat Pettigrew and got a trial at long last. His godfather, with his freedom, had chosen seclusion rather than having to interact with those who had betrayed him. He kept in touch with his only friend, Remus Lupin, who had helped him since his escape and wrote often to Harry and his friends. Fifth year and Umbridge was better forgotten about. He and his friends had managed not to get detention with the bitch and had continued their own study group and were the only ones in the entire school to get Outstandings that year for their OWL in DADA. The previous year he had met Remus Lupinm his dog Snuffles and his good friend Nymphadora Tonks during Hogsmede weekends, from whom he had learned Occulmency to help with his nightmares and the fact his step father liked nothing better than mind raping him. That had been the only year his mother had signed his permission slip for weekend trips, a treat not repeated in his fifth or sixth years.
All in all, sixth year had been the best year at school so far for Harry Potter, not that he was ever going back there. In Potions, Slughorn actually graded his work fairly and invited the Outsiders, as he and his friends called themselves, into his Slug Club. The fact he, Hermione and Neville had all gained an O on their Potions OWL was through the tutoring of Blaise Zabini and the Weasley Twins and had nothing at all to do with Snape. The down side was as his grades went up in Potions they slid to Troll in DADA despite the fact he had been the top student for five years. He had won the prestigious Ministry Prize for Outstanding OWL Results the previous year, beating Hermione to the honour, even after the fact Draco Malfoy had boasted he was bound to get it because he was a 'proper' wizard. The fact Harry had grown up muggle was a black mark on his reputation. Luckily in the past three years he had received tutoring on Wizarding traditions, customs and etiquette from Remus and Sirius. He had never really spoke to any of his supposed cousins except the Weasley Twins and Neville. Everyone else looked down their nose at him for being Snape's stepson.
School was a memory now. Luna and her father had moved to Norway, she was going to a small dayschool in Trondheim for her baccalaureate. Neville was the only one finishing his NEWTs at Hogwarts as Blaise, Hermione and he were all being tutored privately to take their International School Leaving Certificate, a course with broader aims and more in depth knowledge than any course taught in Europe. It would be hard work, but worth it.
Hermione's plan had been executed to perfection, with the help of Myrtle, they had the names and addresses of all muggleborns supposedly starting at Hogwarts this year. The Peverell legacy had funded their education at Hogwarts for five hundred years. Harry on discovering this and had transferred the management of the entire trust to a school in Ireland, independent of the Ministry and Hogwarts. Harry during the Triwizard Tournament had learned the existence of a supposed 'trade' school in Limerick. This magical school was based on American education system, teaching both mundane and magical subjects, giving a well rounded modern and unrestricted education. Harry and Hermione had studied their GCSE's by correspondence course. Now, all muggleborns would only get their fees and boarding paid if they went to the approved scholarship school, The Mab Academy of Magic, not Hogwarts. He had effectively pulled the ranking of Hogwarts out of the premier league in one move. With only pureblood and half blood students, the school would be hard pressed to keep running with the loss of funding. In the morning the Prophet would advertise both his leaving Britain, his withdrawal of funding from Hogwarts and the fact nearly every muggleborn would no longer be educated at Hogwarts. Harry was glad of his and Hermione's close relationship with the hack Rita Skeeter. They had a stack of very damaging stories to publish now they were all safely out of the way. All planned after Dumbledore leaked the crap about him being the Chosen One. By the time he was finished no one would look up to the manipulating bastard or his pet Deatheater.
...
The Order of the Phoenix had many members, who all knew the danger to their way of life presented by He-who-must-not-be-named and his Deatheaters. The death of Albus Dumbledore in June had been the result of a curse of unknown origin which had withered and blackened his right hand. The funeral had been held at the school and had drawn his followers close. The Chair of the Order was now held by Minerva McGonagall. The meetings held in the Summer Home of the Headmaster, now gifted to the Order. The House was under the Fidelis. The Weasley's arrived on mass, well all except Percy and the Twins, who had decided to remain neutral. Ginerva and Ronald were too young to be members and would spend the time entertaining themselves. Lily arrived with her two girls. Normally they were left with Maisie but with no elf, there was no childcare. Lily had series issues with her employment now, she could not keep house, look after Rosie and work. She did not want to loose her one bit of independence and was going to ask Minerva for a position at Hogwarts, either teaching Muggle Studies or Defence. Curse or no curse, a home with house elves was a must.
Philly and Rosie did not like the Weasley's on principal. Their father told them the whole family were idiots and muggle lovers. Ginerva sneered at them as they entered the drawing room. It was Ronald who opened his mouth, "Bloody hell, its Snape's little sneeky bastards. Its been bad enough sharing a dorm with bloody Potter. He's always creeping about with the squib and the know it all." he then rounded on Philly, "Merlin, your starting for Hogwarts this year, you better not get sorted into Gryffindor we don't want your sort. No Snakes allowed!"
Philly then smiled sweetly, "but Mama was a Gryffindor and Head Girl. Just because Papa's a Snake does not mean I will be. I am my own woman after all."
"Woman, you're a shrimp. A silly little girl." Ron still did not like girls, well they were OK to look at. The idea of talking to them or dating made him queasy as he remembered his humiliation of trying to get Hermione Granger to go to the Yule Ball, she'd gone with Viktor Krum. Potter had invited some Auror called Tonks and Neville had taken Looney Lovegood. His own sister had gone with Dean. He'd spent two weeks in detention for punching the arrogant Londoner for fratinising with his sister.
Lily was exhausted, her day had gone from bad to worse. Her access to the vaults at Gringotts limited to the Dowager's allowance of a mere 100 galleons a month. Not enough to buy or even rent the furniture they needed. Her poor girls were now sleeping on camp beds and their possessions kept in trunks. It was then that Lily realised that was how they had made Harry live in a house he owned, the Potter Estate Gatehouse, the official Dowager's residence. In 1981, she would have moved back into Potter Manor but the wards prevented her. Now she was expected to live a frugal life, her allowance restricted as she had remarried. Her new husband was meant to provide for her and her daughters. The 700 galleons a month she previously received had been for her and Harry alone, not to feed and clothe all of them.
Minerva watched as Lily arrived alone. Severus always arrived separately and alone. His position as a spy more important than appearance of family unity.
"Ahh, Lily, I thought you would be bringing Harry for his initiation into the Order? Is he celebrating his birthday with his friends" Minerva knew that now the boy was 17, Severus could not stop him enjoying himself over the summer. The Potion Master had been paranoid of keeping Harry humble, stamping down on any bad habits. He wanted Lily's son to be nothing like his father. He had succeeded all too well. Harry was meek as a mouse. He was practically invisible at school, so unlike James at that age. She had spoken to him three times in six years. On their first meeting she had scolded him strongly that she would not hold with liars or thieves in her house and he had not been a spot of bother since.
Lily knew what was expected of her son and the fact he had left after Dumbledore's death would cause mass panic if it became general knowledge. "He left at midnight to go stay with his friends, He did not let me know if it was Blaise, Neville or Hermione though."
"Oh, well I know Blaise has moved to Italy with stay with his father's family and Hermione's parent's were moving to Australia, so he must be staying with Neville." Minerva then pondered Frank's quiet, studious son. With the Granger girl, those three Gryffindor's acted like Ravenclaws in their study habits. All three had topped her classes with that Zabini boy since first year.
