You Broke Him, You Fix Him
By Teacherbev
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, I am not a multinational bookselling company, nor am I a multi-million dollar movie company, so I don't own anything that you recognize. I am a retired former teacher who likes to twist plots and play with characters, so enjoy.
AN: This is my sandbox, if you don't like my writing or the way my characters develop over the story, then simply DON"T READ. They have a nifty little button on both the top and the bottom of the page that says 'back'. That said, thank you so much for those who have offered support and encouragement. Enjoy the next installment.
AN: Thank you for your reviews, I had already thought of the errors with the names, but unfortunately I was at the grocery store when I thought of it. I have now reposted the chapter with the names corrected. Of course Minerva went to the island and it was Albus and Remus alone cleaning out the DADA office, just as you all suspected. Thank you again, its fans like you that keep me on my toes. Happy reading.
Chapter 28: Island Vacation
Harry woke to a face full of wing, which caused him to leap out of bed and run several steps in sheer panic before the sound of griffin laughter managed to pierce the thick fog he usually woke up with. He belly flopped onto his bed, his arms outstretched, willing his fingers to make contact with griffin neck, only to miss and slide on the satin sheets so that he tumbled off the other side of the bed in an embarrassing heap of tangled sheets, pillows and madly complaining teenage boy. The laughter in his head just got louder and then was echoed by Ron's very familiar giggle and Sirius' barking laugh.
Harry managed to untangle his head long enough to glare at his loudly laughing audience before pulling the mess of sheets up and over his head in embarrassment, wishing they would just all disappear.
"Too bad Colin isn't here with his camera, hey Harry?" Ron managed around his giggles.
"Just shoot me now, why don't you?" came a disgruntled snarl from the mess on the floor.
Sirius was still laughing at his son, but he was at least trying to untangle him from the mess. "Come on Harry, up and at 'em. We were told you get up early every morning to do physical training. I need you to help Tonks and me show this lazy bunch of kids what to do. Then your grandfather has promised to show us some new dueling tactics."
Harry's head burst from the tangle as he stood up and let the sheets fall to the ground. "Why didn't you say so, Paddy? Let me get some sweats on and I'll be down in just a second." Sirius nodded, still smiling at the griffin's antics and Harry's response, but Ron stayed in the room, wanting to talk to his best mate alone before they joined the others.
"Uh, Harry can I talk to you a bit…you know…alone?" Ron was looking down at his trainers, a new pair, so white they almost shined. His room had supplied a fully stocked closet of new robes, muggle clothes and shoes which he had found this morning.
Harry sat down on the edge of his bed, kicking aside the sheets so that Ron could join him. "What's up, Ron? Is there something wrong?" Harry's face showed his deep concern for his friend.
"No, nothings wrong…well…not really. I just wanted to …you know…apologize for everything I did and said last year. You know ... the jealousy stuff? I mean I didn't know everything that had happened to you, well no one did actually. I'm kind of mad that you didn't tell me about it, I would have helped you like we did that summer. But well, Sirius and Professor Dumbledore and even Mum kind of explained about how you wouldn't want anyone to know about that and that it didn't change who you were and well…that I was being a royal git for the way I treated you. Mum showed me a huge insurance policy they have on her and Dad, since they have seven children you know. And she asked me if I thought you would be jealous if they both died and then I had money from the policy, like you have money from your Mum and Dad. And it made me think really hard and I thought…you know…Harry really wouldn't care if I had money and he didn't. I mean you didn't get jealous when I made prefect and you didn't even though everyone thought it should have been you and not me."
Harry didn't know what he should say to Ron so he just nodded his head in agreement. "And then Sirius told me stories about his growing up with his parents hating him and how miserable it was even though his family had plenty of money. And what with everything that's happened to you…I guess what I'm saying is…I'm all right with you being some Lord or Duke or whatever and being wealthier than Malfoy, because really you're just Harry to me…just Harry, my best mate. And if you want to share ... or buy me things to share what you have with me, that'll be okay because I'll share with you what I have, my Mum and Dad and my brothers and sister." Ron looked shyly over at his best mate for the last five years, unsure if Harry understood exactly what he was trying to say to him.
Harry smiled and leaned into Ron giving him a manly one armed hug, before reaching over and punching him in the shoulder. "Thanks mate. I would trade everything I have to have had my Mum and Dad when I was growing up, or even now. I always wondered why you were jealous of me, when I was so jealous of you. I love your house and your Mum's homemade fudge and sweaters, because they are filled with love and that's something you can't buy. Now enough of this sensitive mushy stuff, let's go whip the girls, we are seriously outnumbered here and we need to defend the honor of males everywhere."
The two boys ran down the stairs and slid on the polished wooden plank floors, sliding into the physical fitness room on their knees in a dramatic entrance.
The Malfoy's and Parkinson's were eating breakfast in a much lightened spirit after the offer from Sirius had been received and accepted when two nondescript post owls flew in the open window and landed on the table, sending the toast flying off of the plate in the center of the table.
Draco reached over, since he was closest to them and took off the two parchments, handing one to his mother and keeping the other, turning it over in his hands gingerly as he recognized the imposing seal of the Baron of Blackmoor, his new guardian.
"What does your Uncle Sirius say, Drake?" Narcissa was looking curiously at her son, her own letter unopened beside her plate.
Draco used the butter knife beside his plate to slit open the heavy parchment envelope and carefully unfolded the letter.
Dear Draco,
I have written to your mother and offered the protection and support of the Black family and the formal annulment of her marriage to Lucius Malfoy. She has left the decision of your formal renouncement of your father up to you.
I am writing to reiterate my pledge of protection and support to you if you chose to officially claim the name of Draco Amgius Black.
I will be assuming the position of DADA Professor starting next week so I will be available to you at Hogwarts. I have the pledge of my son, Harry Potter-Black that he will continue to deal with you in the same manner that he has always done so. If you refrain from taunting and/or physically attacking him or any of his friends, he will continue to ignore you.
If I become your guardian, it is my sincere advice that you refrain from taunting or physically attacking anyone, not just the Gryffindors. I am willing to help you change the direction of your life, but you must make not only the first step but all of the subsequent steps as well. No one can force you to change, Draco that must come from deep within. I hope it is still within you to not only want that change but to have the strength and courage to make that change.
Just remember, you are not alone. Your mother and I will be there to help you make each of those steps.
Your cousin,
Sirius Black
Baron Blackmoor
Draco finished reading his letter out loud to his mother and the Parkinsons. It took only a moment for him to finally make his decision, after all Sirius Black, a man he had never actually met before was offering him more encouragement and acceptance than his father had in all the years of his life. He looked at his mother and nodded to her, a warm feeling spreading through his chest as he noted the pride shining from her eyes at his choice.
Harry had barely kept up with Ron during their morning exercises but they both were exhausted and panting while Tonks and Paddy just laughed at them, both of them barely sweating at the end of the long exercise program. None of the girls had been able to even finish, dropping out to go sit and rest while the two finished up with the two boys. Harry was almost as clumsy as Tonks, he was still getting used to his new height that Poppy had forced with potions during his recent illness making him gawky and awkward. Amicus had kept up a steady stream of snide but very funny comments in his head which didn't help his concentration and made everyone look askance at him until he finally stopped laughing at some rude comment and explained his mental connection to his familiar and what exactly Amicus had been doing to him.
Not only the six children, but Tonks and Sirius were completely awed and speechless when the two professionals were soundly and rapidly defeated by Nicholas in a two against one match so one sided it was embarrassing to the two younger fighters. Nicholas had merely laughed and admitted he had much more practice and had probably forgotten more than the two had ever learned. He then patiently began teaching the group how to shield from almost any curse or spell, using ancient shields neither Sirius or Tonks had ever heard of, let alone been taught. He then went on to teach them to duck and move, something he stated he had learned during sword fights as a necessity but he soon realized it took much less magical energy to simply dodge a spell than it did to block one and by dodging you could still send spells back at your opponent while shielding meant you could not send spells back without dropping your own shield, a distinct disadvantage against a better trained opponent or when facing overwhelming odds.
By the end of the two hours of dueling practice, everyone but Nicholas was hot, sweaty and ready to collapse upon the floor, while the six hundred year old wizard was openly laughing about the lack of stamina in younger folks. Sirius made a silent vow to train and train and then train some more, but he would at least give the man a good fight before the summer when they would return to the island to train Harry and his friends once again.
The six teens and two adults had showered and dressed in jeans and thin jumpers before joining Harry's grandparents, Professor McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey and a very grumpy Professor Snape for an elaborate and filling breakfast.
Perenelle finished her hot scone with clabbered cream and raspberry jelly before beginning to explain the schedule for the next three weeks to the group. "As you did this morning, you will be up and exercising at six a.m. for thirty minutes then dueling and DADA until eight thirty, followed by showers and breakfast at nine a.m. Severus this will be time for your physical therapy followed by therapeutic massages and a whirlpool bath with healing herbs. After breakfast, lessons will be split up. Hermione, Lisa and Harry will have Ancient Runes and Arithmancy while Ron, Ginny and Laurie will have Transfiguration and Charms with Professor McGonagall until eleven when the two groups will switch until lunch at one."
"After lunch, the children with Professor Snape and my husband will brew potions until three thirty or four at which time the children will be free to roam outside, play Quidditch on the pitch or just enjoy themselves. And no Hermione and Lisa, that doesn't mean reading in the library, you may read but at least do it outdoors if you must. Dinner is at seven and then it will be time for individual study or reading or playing quiet games until bedtime at ten. The weekends are free except for physical training in the mornings which will begin at eight rather than six as it does on the weekdays. Any questions?" she looked around at the group, one eyebrow raised in questioning but no one had any objections. In fact, Professor Snape looked almost eager for the opportunity to brew potions with Nicholas Flamel even if he had to suffer having the imbecilic brats with them to do it.
The adults had all discussed and organized the schedule the evening before after the children had been sent to their rooms so they had all agreed on it the night before. Professor Snape and Nicholas would have mornings and evenings off to do whatever they liked, though Severus would need to spend a large portion of his time in regaining his strength since they only had three weeks for him to recover from the near fatal beating he had received from Harry's uncle. Tonks and Sirius would be up working early with physical training and then dueling but then they had off until they would supervise and just be available in the afternoons during free time if it was needed. Perenelle and McGonagall would be teaching every morning but then they would have the rest of the time off, though Minerva wanted to take time each evening to help the Turpin girls over their grief and begin to develop a mentoring relationship with them if possible. In fact, the only ones who would have a full day schedule were the children, though Sirius would also be working hard to devise class syllabi for all seven years of DADA classes before they returned, it would be difficult but Tonks had offered to help him during her free time, since Umbridge's old ones were worse than useless.
The group finished up their breakfast, Ron and Harry each grabbed a last scone to eat on the way out of the room and the groups split up to go to their different classes and assignments.
Severus was having a hard time masking his excitement as he sat at the table, waiting for the blasted children to finish eating lunch so they could all go down to Nicholas' excellent potions lab in the basement. He glared at Poppy as she finished eating her pudding; the miserable task master had insisted he spend the entire morning resting after the very painful deep tissue massage the massive healer named Hans had given him. He swore silently that the man could have been Hagrid's little brother by the size and strength of his massive hands if he didn't know better. Though the very hot and fragrant whirlpool bath that followed had almost made the massage worth it, though he would never admit to anyone that he was much less stiff and sore after the long and tiring morning but now he was terribly anxious to begin to brew.
Finally even the two teenage boys were finished and the group was led downstairs and into a well lit and ventilated area set up with multiple brewing stations. Six waist high tables with tall stools were spaced evenly around the room, the walls lined with glass fronted potions ingredient cabinets and huge shelves filled with every piece of potion brewing equipment he had ever seen or even just heard about. Severus felt his heart speed up and his hands begin to itch at the floor to ceiling bookshelves of potions books and grimoires that stood behind a massive oak desk. He swallowed loudly; he had actually salivated at the sight of his dream room!
Harry pulled Ron to a table, Hermoine paired up with Ginny and the Turpin girls took a third station after everyone put on the protective aprons that had been waiting for them on the stools. Severus noticed that Harry was whispering excitedly into Ron's ear, disbelief clear upon the redhead's face as the other boy chatted excitedly. Severus took up his own station apart from the children who would be taught today's lesson by Nicholas who was smilingly standing in front of his own brewing station, facing his students as he began to tell them what they would be brewing and how to prepare the ingredients as well as cautions about some of the more common mishaps with this particular brew. Severus pretended to be totally involved in his own brewing of dreamless sleep, but he was actually paying rapt attention to the master as he spoke, fascinated at the man's interesting and insightful lecture on so simple a subject as the very familiar burn paste he himself taught mostly unsuccessfully to fourth years.
The children watched as Nicholas prepared each ingredient, having the students copy what he was doing as he explained why he chopped one item and pulverized another. He showed them how to remove the dust from his finely chopped roots so that the dust didn't make the final potion cloudy or too thick. He would add an ingredient to his own cauldron and then stop to make sure each duo did exactly the same thing. Severus hid his astonishment but even Ron and Harry had successfully brewed a prefect bight luminescent orange burn paste by the end of the lesson and were joining in on the end discussion with intelligent questions and comments. Nicholas had never raised his voice once, no one had made a single error and the children and Nicholas were all laughing and happy as they discussed their successful afternoon when they all cleaned up their stations and bottled the paste for use in the local infirmary.
As he finished his own cauldron full of sleeping potion, Severus pondered the afternoon, his thoughts comparing the enjoyable afternoon in a glaring contrast to the overtly negative experiences of an afternoon of his own classes. He knew that very few students ever went on in N.E.W.T. potions and even fewer expressed any interest in gaining their mastery in the very difficult subject that he so loved. Several recent articles in his favorite journals had bemoaned the severe lack of suitable apprentices and how the shortage of new potions masters was adversely affecting the new potions that were being developed as well as new refinements on the old standard ones that increased their efficacy or decreased detrimental or annoying side effects.
Severus finished bottling his potion, absently cleaning his station without conscious thought as he evaluated his own culpability in the decreasing number of qualified students. Without the massive ball of hate and anger he had nursed for the past two decades, he could admit with deep ever growing shame that he had personally been responsible for the rapid decline of willing students. Instead of encouraging and sharing his deep love of brewing, he had made it a painful and humiliating experience for all but a few specially selected students. If he was being brutally honest with himself, even the few students that had succeeded in his classes were related more to their parents' political standing and their house affiliation rather than any particular natural talent the child possessed. He always privately tutored several Slytherin students each year to assure they passed both their O.W.L.'s and their N.E.W.T.'s but none of them were more than adequate at brewing memorized formulae if he was being scrupulously honest and none of them were capable of the flashes of insight and creativity necessary to modify existing potions let alone the genius necessary to begin to develop new potions.
Severus spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in quiet introspection and self analysis before coming to a very painful and humiliating conclusion. He stood up from the comfortable armchair in the library and went in search of Nicholas to beg for the man's help in totally revamping and revising his teaching of his beloved subject. He was filled with determination to change his intimidating teaching methods before he turned the study of potions into a terrifying nightmare for another generation of Hogwarts students.
After the first fun potions class that the students could ever remember having, they trooped outdoors to enjoy the spring sunshine. Harry and Amicus eagerly leading the way to the huge barn and the oversized green pasture to meet Amicus' parents and the rest of the varied flocks and herds of animals that reside on his grandparent's enormous estate. Harry and Lisa rode several of the thestrals as the other four took turns riding horses in the paddock, the helpful elves giving impromptu riding lessons as the animals enjoyed being exercised. Hermione and the Turpin girls had all ridden horses before so they were also helping the Weasleys and Harry. Harry of course was a natural rider, almost as much a natural as he was at riding a broom, but Ron and Ginny weren't far behind him, their broom riding served as excellent training for riding a horse it seemed.
With an invitation from the elves to return each afternoon to ride, the six wandered down to the pasture and were introduced to the two adult griffins before the boys and Ginny managed to drag the other three behind the huge manor house to the small Quidditch pitch and the broom shed Harry had found on his explorations during the past week. Laurie joined the others in flying gleefully, but Hermione and Lisa each pulled a book out of their small packs and settled back to read, looking up every once in a while when one of the four would squeal or yell particularly loudly at some antic.
All six looked pink cheeked and carefree as they joined the adults for supper and excitedly chattered about everything they had done that day. Perenelle had separated Harry from his friends for the evening to just visit with her grandson and gently discuss his heritage and all that it entailed, while Poppy took the Turpin girls with Professor McGonagall into a small study to counsel them and begin to discuss exactly how their lives had changed and what options were now available to them. Minerva had liked Lisa as a student, she had a bright mind and a very pleasant personality so she was hoping that she could eventually offer to become the girls' guardian, at least until they found out if the two had any other relatives that would want to take on the guardianship.
Ron challenged Sirius to a game of chess and found himself having to scramble against a very equal opponent, something he hadn't had to do for years. He was enjoying himself tremendously, he liked winning, sure who wouldn't, but he also enjoyed having to really work against a formidable opponent even more. At evening's end he had managed to win one game, they had tied another and Sirius had won the first game.
Ginny, Hermione and Tonks had spent a long giggly evening discussing gossip, fashion and hair care, just being the 'girls' while Tonks demonstrated ever more elaborate and hilarious outfits and hairstyles for the others.
Nicholas had listened patiently to the much younger man as he finally poured out his heart to the ancient alchemist. Severus had finally found a willing mentor. Albus had tried over the years, but the inherent hatred and anger from their relationship during Severus' school years and his lingering resentment against the Marauders had tainted their relationship so that Severus had always held back, unwilling to completely let go and trust the older man unconditionally with his deepest secrets and fears, even though Albus had always been willing to wait patiently and gave the harsh bitter man all the time he needed to gain that trust.
Nicholas had no personal history with Severus to overcome, he was a gentle, kind and understanding man and their mutual love for potions brewing forged a friendship and respect that was almost instantaneous when the two met for the first time. Severus held Nicholas almost in awe because of his reputation and accomplishments while Nicholas was deeply grateful of the danger and difficulty that Severus had faced to sever the unnatural and inhuman beast's vile connection that was eroding and damaging his grandson's mind. Albus had explained about Snape's culpability in the original withdrawal of Harry into a coma, but Nicholas was willing to overlook that because of Severus' subsequent actions. And when Severus haltingly admitted and confessed of his deception and its unintended consequences, the two men bonded on a deep and almost inexplicable level.
That night, all thirteen people in the ancient manor slept better and deeper than any of them had for a very long time.
The next day, Perenelle had regaled every one with a wonderful history lesson during the long lunch period, her expertise at weaving a spellbinding story made everyone forget to even eat at times as they became entranced in the retelling of tales from old wizarding England. Because she had lived through many of the events she spoke of, she could put a face and a personality on names they barely recognized from their dull lessons with the ghost Professor Binns. Even the adults were fascinated with a peek into the elder witch's long and exciting life. She spoke of centuries old events with a fresh, first hand perspective and Nicholas even interrupted occasionally to add his own voice to the retelling.
The children sat in awe at the table as the six hundred and forty year old Lady Ravenclaw told family tales about the Founders told to her by her over two hundred year old grandfather as he spoke of his own grandparents, Lord and Lady Ravenclaw and their friends, the Griffindors who became Potters in a grand and glorious wedding of the Gryffindor daughter to the Heir of the Potter family. The gentleness of Helga Hufflepuff and her willingness to accept almost anyone until they were proven unworthy of her high regard, giving friendship and trust so easily to the bitter betrayal of Salazar Slytherin after the murder of his wife and infant son by a mob of crazed muggles on a simple trip to visit her father's keep, to the long forgotten but eventual reuniting of Gryffindor and Slytherin decades later when the very existence of Hogwarts was threatened by the Norman invaders after the Battle of Hastings.
Every lunch became an impromptu history lesson as Perenelle and Nicholas enthralled their audience with colorful pagentry, memorable personages, bloody battles and the insane political maneuvering and skullduggery behind those conflicts. History came alive for the small group in a way that a history book and the dry monotone of a long dead Professor never could. Even Minerva learned things she had never heard of while a student long ago herself.
Those first days set the pattern for the rest of the time spent at Tir na nOg and the three weeks passed quickly, too quickly for everyone concerned. All six of the children grew stronger, healthier and much happier, Severus and Harry had returned to full health and the adults had relaxed and recuperated fully from the stress and ordeal that had marred the previous months. Even Snape had gained some weight and the beginnings of a tan. And everyone was finally getting used to a Severus Snape wearing colors other than black! When Perenelle had arranged for the wardrobes in each person's room to be filled, she had removed Snape's heavy teaching robes and replaced them with spring weight robes; true they were still dark colored but the greens, grays, browns and blues were not black, merely dark. She refused to return his own black teaching clothes until the day before they were to leave.
So after a much too short three week visit, Harry clutched Amicus to his chest with his much stronger and finely muscled right arm as his left hand touched the rope his grandfather had spelled as a return portkey, smiling a deep and truly happy smile for the first time in many years as he looked at the mismatched group grabbing onto the long rope around him. He couldn't believe how much happier and younger both Professor Snape and Sirius looked after just three weeks. Tonks was always irrepressible but now Ginny, Hermione and Ron had lost any traces of the strain that Harry's illness and the misery that both Umbridge and Snape had inflicted on them during the last school terms had disappeared completely. Lisa and Laurie had lost the grief stricken hollowness from their faces as they smiled up at Minerva McGonagall, their new guardian. Poppy Pomfrey had a large trunk full of potions that Severus and Nicholas had tweaked and greatly improved from older potions grasped securely in her right hand as her left clutched the rope tightly and she looked very pleased with the recovery of her two patients as well as the marked improvement in the mental health of everyone there.
Harry turned to receive a final rib crushing and tearful hug from his Grandmother Perenelle and then another hug from his Grandfather. Nicholas whispered into his ear so that only Harry could hear, "It's only six weeks, child. We have already arranged for you and Sirius with all of your friends to spend the summer here. And we will be watching over you. If you ever need us, just tell Amicus, he can contact us no matter how far away you are through his parents. Keep safe and remember always, that we love you and always will, child." With both their eyes suspiciously wet the two wizards hugged tightly before the portkey activated, returning the eleven to the real world and new adventures once more.
AN: One more chapter will take them through O.W.L.'s and the end of the school year. I might write a sequel covering their summer together if there is enough interest in it; but I want to finish up Paddy's Little Pup next. As always, I enjoy hearing from each and every one of you, so thank you for taking the time to read and review.
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