Leevi was to have detention with the over grown bat that night after dinner, until eleven that night. No doubt Snape would be even nastier for the fact that Leevi looked just like James Potter.
Since he had the afternoon free he decided to set his plan into motion.
After leaving his friends in the common room he made his way to Professor's McGonagall's office to have a little chat, after all having Minerva as an alley at school would only work to his advantage. Many people did not know that Minerva was very protective and almost motherly to her students. If she thought it appropriate she would bend over backwards to help a student, something Leevi was counting on.
Leevi knocked on the door and waited for permission to come in.
Professor McGonagall opened the door and looked perplexed for a minute at the first year in front of her.
"May I help you Mr.…?" She asked pausing for a minute trying to figure out if he was Harry or Leevi.
"Leevi Maximus professor." Leevi said politely inclining his head in acknowledgement.
"Of course Mr. Maximus you and Mr. Potter look so alike I have trouble telling you apart." The transfiguration mistress said.
"Is there something I can help you with Mr. Maximus?" Minerva asked peering over her glasses.
Leevi gave a polite but charming smile at the older woman.
"Actually Professor I would like to discuss with you my schooling if that would be alright with you?"
McGonagall was taken back for she did not expect for the boy to want to discuss his schooling so soon. True he was a complete natural at her art, as was his sister, but she had the feeling he was holding back potential wise.
"Come in Mr. Maximus." Minerva said with a smile.
Leevi walked in and waited to be told to take a seat; after all he wanted to stay on the professor's good side.
"So Mr. Maximus, what would you like to discuss about your education?" McGonagall asked pouring two cups of tea.
"Well I was wondering if I could maybe get some more advanced tutoring. I know much of the stuff already taught in class, so I was wondering if someone would be able to teach me how to use transfiguration in other ways." Leevi said taking the offered cup.
Minerva raised an eyebrow at that statement. 'Already knew most of the transfiguration taught here?'
"Mr. Maximus what kind of transfiguration would you like to learn?" McGonagall asked taking a sip of tea.
The boy in front of her looked thoughtful.
"Well I suppose using it in dueling and such. It would be useful to be able to transfigure something in to shields and such." Leevi said wistfully.
Minerva raised her eyes at that answer. True you could use transfiguration in dueling, but a first year should not be ready for such a task.
"Mr. Maximus I highly doubt that you would be able to perform that type of transfiguration at this time. You are very gifted at transfiguration, but to use it in a duel would take years of training and practice."
"I understand that professor, I have been home schooled for many years now, and I believe I can manage such tasks. Would you be willing to test my skill sometime?" Leevi asked looking at his watch. "As it is dinner right now and I would not wish to make you miss your supper."
McGonagall looked at the boy sharply it was true that she was extremely curious at the boys skill, but she was still doubtful that he could perform such magic.
"Very well Mr. Maximus come to my office after diner and I will test your skill then." Minerva said while finishing off her tea.
She watched the boy as he smiled gratefully and was about to agree before he lost the expression to be replaced with one of disappointment.
"I am sorry professor, but I have detention with Professor Snape after dinner tonight, perhaps another time that would be convenient for you?" Leevi asked in a hopeful voice.
McGonagall's eyes shot up at the mention of detention, for young Leevi did not strike her as the type to deserve a detention, but then again Severus always did have it in for her students.
"Why do you have detention with Professor Snape?" She asked peering over her glasses with narrowed eyes.
The boy shifted in his seat with a confused expression on his face.
"Well I missed class because I was in the hospital wing." He muttered softly.
Minerva narrowed her eyes even more.
"Did Professor Snape that you were in the hospital wing?" She asked in a dangerous voice.
"Yes my sister informed him when he was taking role, and I delivered the note saying I was there afterwards."
Minerva's lips went the tightest Leevi had ever seen them go before and internally he smirked.
"I will personally talk to Professor Snape and see about this misunderstanding." Professor McGonagall said in a firm voice.
"Actually madam I think that would just cause the situation to worsen, Uncle James informed me that Professor Snape and he has a bad history together. If Professor Snape thinks that I am getting special attention from you it may cause him to become more hostile towards me, my sister, and cousin." Leevi said with a frown, "I think it would be best to just do the detention, after awhile hopefully he'll get bored and leave me alone."
Minerva simply stared at the young boy with the mature thought he had just shown.
"Very well Mr. Maximus, but if he causes you anymore trouble please let me know, unfair treatment of a student simply because a petty childhood rivalry should not happen." McGonagall stated with narrowed eyes, "As for when I can test you on your skills I will schedule you for tomorrow afternoon at two."
Leevi immediately perked up at that statement and walked with the transfiguration teacher down to the Great Hall.
After dinner, in which Minerva kept throwing Snape dirty looks, Leevi headed off to the dungeons much to the anger of his group of friends. The only ones that didn't seem affected were Christelle and Hermione, the first because she almost felt sorry for Snape and the later because she simply didn't know whether Leevi deserved the detention or not.
Leevi patiently waited outside the Potions classroom until he was called in by Professor Snape.
As he walked in Snape looked at him in something akin to hate and snarled out, "Potter what do you think you are doing here?"
Leevi raised his eyes at the tone of voice Snape used, but other than that showed no emotion. He had to admit even in his dimension Snape hadn't hated him with such passion right off. The death of his parents and the incarceration of Sirius must have done much to ease the tension in Snape back in his original world.
"I am sorry sir, but my name is Leevi Maximus, you assigned me a detention for tonight." Leevi said politely trying not to look directly into Snape's eyes.
"Potter do not lie to me, or you'll have another detention!" Snape spat with distaste clearly evident in his voice.
Snape eyed the boy disbelief that this could be any one but Potter. He had just seen the brat today, and was the spitting image of that irritating James Potter. Just as big headed as his father, thinking HE would fall for his little prank. Severus was many things, but stupid was not one of them; he knew the boy in front of him was Harry Potter.
Snape was just about to take away house points for the boy's lying tongue when a nock came upon his door.
Sending a death glare at the boy he called out for the person to come in.
Snape was almost startled when Minerva McGonagall walked through the door and started towards his desk.
"Ah Severus I was hoping to talk to you about…" She trailed off as she saw the black haired boy close to Snape's desk.
"Ah I am sorry Severus I didn't know you were talking to a student, I could leave and let you finish your conversation with Mr. Maximus if you wish?" Minerva said in a calm voice.
Snape's only sign of surprise was a slightly risen eyebrow. 'Damn the brat is really Maximus! Why in Hades does he look so much like that idiot?'
"No I was just finishing with Mr. Maximus here." Snape said with a death glare at the boy. "He was just on his way out."
As much as he disliked letting the Gryffindor go, he could hardly explain to McGonagall why he had given the boy detention in the first place. As the boy left he promised himself he would get the boy at a later date, any one who looked that much like Potter deserved to be punished.
Leevi walked down the hallway very thoughtful about the future. So far everything was going relatively well and on track as far as his plans went just a few bumps here and there. As he was about to turn down a secrete passageway he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Reacting on pure instincts he grabbed the hand and twisted while he pulled out his wand and aimed it at his 'attacker'. Leevi came face to face with Remus Lupin's startled face, and quickly dropped the twisted arm.
"Oh I am so sorry Professor Lupin; I didn't know that it was you." Leevi said with a blush, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt one of his surrogate fathers.
Remus didn't show how startled he truly was just gave a calming smile to young Leevi while he rubbed his sore wrist.
"No harm done Leevi I was hoping to talk to you for a few minutes." Moony said with a smile as he began to lead the way to his office. Once they got there Remus indicated a chair in front of his desk which Leevi took while he looked around the office.
His eyes narrowed on a shaking wardrobe in the far corner while Remus made some tea.
"Ah nothing to worry about just a…" Moony began but Leevi finished for him.
"Boggart."
Lupin looked up a bit surprised, but he didn't let it show.
"Yes a boggart, you've heard of them?" He asked slightly curious.
Leevi thought for a minute, he had supposedly grown up in a magical household so it would not be odd that he knew what a boggart was. So he merely nodded at the question.
"Nasty things boggarts almost as bad as the real things." Leevi said with a frown while he took a cup of tea.
Remus could only nod his head in agreement, boggarts were horrible creatures.
"So Leevi, I wanted to see how you were liking Hogwarts, James and Lily were somewhat disappointed that you didn't write to them yet." Lupin said with a smile.
"Well I haven't written because I figured you'd be reporting to them, so what's the point of writing? Besides what would I say, what house I got in and what classes I like?" Leevi muttered while taking a sip of tea, thankfully Lupin still used tea bags.
"As for Hogwarts, it's great, it's like coming home. Classes are good, I guess, a bit easy, but most of the teachers are fair and all."
Remus looked thoughtful as the boy spoke. It was true that he was reporting on all the kids, James was highly disappointed that Harry had yet to pull a prank. While Lily was proud at how well they were doing.
"Do you not enjoy living with Lily and James?" Remus asked thinking about the home comment Leevi made.
Leevi decided to be somewhat truthful when answering Remus' question.
"It's not that I don't like living with them it's more the fact that I am an intruder. As much as I want them to be my family, they just can't. They will never be my parents even though they are the perfect replacements." Leevi said with a sad smile.
It was true, he wanted James and Lily to be his parents, but they had a son already. Besides it would not be safe to pull them into his fight in the future. They would need to be kept in the dark about many of his activities.
After Leevi left Remus Lupin sat back in his chair to think things over. He felt something akin to pity for Leevi Maximus, the boy had just lost his family, forced to live in an unfamiliar country with a family he didn't know, and come to a school he had never seen before.
Remus could sympathize with his feelings of intruding in some one else's life, for he felt that way much of the time owing to his condition. The fact that Leevi was so jumpy hadn't escaped him either, his arm was bruised where the boy had grabbed it.
Lupin wondered what would cause a boy to be so guarded, and protective almost as if he expected to be attacked. This more than anything worried Remus. He vowed to himself that he would keep a closer eye on the first year and be there for him if the boy ever wanted to talk. Remus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, this year was going to be a long one.