Chapter 17:

After checking on Hedwig and her eggs Harry went back to Longbottom Manor early that morning. Amelia had agreed to teach them in the morning and he was really curious about how her lessons would be. She seemed like she would be a good teacher. At least she coudn't be worse that the DADA professors they had. He hoped so at least. Thought she is the Head of the DMLE so that had to count for something.

He was also looking forward to see Susan and maybe Hannah again. He had liked Susan when teaching her in the DA and he was looking forward to get to know her better. And Hannah too, of course.

It was once again Dobby who wanted to bring him to Longbottom Manor and this time Dobby wanted to stay in Longbottom Manor as long as Harry was there. Harry of course gave his permission and wished him luck with the wooing of Tessy.

Harry calmly walked to the sun room where he expected everyone to be and walked into the room to see Neville, gran, Amelia and Susan Bones drinking their morning cup of tea. Hannah Abbott wasn't there but Harry hadn't expected her to be here on the first day the Bones family were at Longbottom Manor.

Susan had the pretty sky blue eyes typical of the Bones Family, just like her aunt, and she had dark auburn hair with a slight curl to it. She was quite tall with a pale skin like her aunt. Just like Neville and Harry himself, she too had grown a lot this summer Harry noticed.

Harry went to greet them in the traditional way he had only just learned this summer and he could see how surprised she was as he bowed over her hand to air kiss it. In return, Susan curtsied to him like the Lady she was.

Harry had never greeted anyone this way before this summer but it seemed like she liked the way he greeted her now. Gran had told him this was the respectful way to greet a lady in the Wixen World.

As Harry stood up straight again he saw Susan smiling at him with a twinkle in her eyes and he could see gran staring at them from the corner of his eye with a thoughtful look on her face.

Harry turned to Amelia and asked how she was doing after the attack on Bones Manor and if there have been any arrests made since then.

Amelia looked irritated when she anwsered with, "No unfortunately we were unable to arrest Greyback and the death eaters that attacked the Manor. We were very fortunate that we were not at home at the time of the attack. It is most likely that I would not have made it against such bad odds."

Amelia looked him straight in the eyes as she continued with, "Thank you, Hadrian, if not for you, Susan would have been alone in this world without any family left to support her."

Harry was once again uncomfortable with the gratefulness others showed him and he said, "I am very glad that the both of you are alright but it was nothing I did. Oh and please call me Harry, the both of you. I am still not used to my actual legal name." He said while slightly blushing.

Amelia nodded and said, "Very well then. Now that tea time is over shall we move to the training room? I still have some things to teach you children."

Harry, Neville and Susan stood up and followed Amelia to the training room of Longbottom Manor.

It was an hour later that the Lady Bones stood over the bodies of the three exausted teenagers. She was smirking at them while twirling her wand in her hand.

"You didn't think I got where I am in the Ministry by just being the Lady of House Bones now did you?" She looked fierce when saying that and Harry got the feeling that other people often thought that she only got to her high position in the Ministry by being a pure-blooded female in the Wixen World.

That was obliviously not true at all. Amelia Bones was a badass and Harry was very glad that she was willing to teach them how to survive this war.

She then started to tell them what to improve on. Neville should work on his stamina, Susan on her spell knowledge and Harry should work on his control which was a bit spotty after he drank the blood-adoption potion.

Then she separated them to work on each of their weak points while she switched beween them to offer help and advice.

Susan looked at Harry and Neville and said, "Don't you think this feels familiar? It is just like the DA only now you are the student and not the teacher, Harry."

Harry had to agree with her. Amelia's way of teaching was very similar to the way Harry himself used to teach the DA. Only Amelia was actually an experienced adult who obliviously knew what she was doing. She gave them great tips and helped them stand the correct way when casting a certain spell and with the wand movements so they could cast the spells with maximum effect.

After a hour of practising, Amelia called them together and told them they would spar in a three-way spar. It would be Susan vs Neville vs Harry. She told them that the winner would spar against her if the he or she still had the energy for it.

The three looked at each other and got in position as Amelia counted from 3, 2, 1 and begin!

Harry ducked so he could avoid the spells the other two shot at him. They cast a few spells at each other before Harry decided to cast he spell he had wanted to try out for a while since he was a bit offended that they would try to take him out first. And so he cast the spell to turn someone in a duck in Neville's direction.

He had wanted to try that spell out for a while and now he finally had the opportunity to cast it on a living person and not on a dummie. Neville still owned him for laughing at him for dancing with gran so this was the perfect opportunity. Harry was quite good in holding a grudge against someone and this was the perfect moment for some friendly pay back.

Soon there were two teenagers, one Lady Bones and one brown duck quaking indignantly at them. Harry and Susan looked at each other and burst out in laughing. They laughed so hard they forgot they were supposed to be sparring with each other which Amelia decided would be a good teaching moment for the three teenagers.

Then there was a flash of red light and soon all three of the teenagers were petrified, well, two teenagers and one duck whom was soon turned back into a teenager.

When they woke up again they were next to each other and their teacher was in front of them. She said, "What can you tell me about what went wrong in this spar?"

They thought about it and Harry anwsered, "I got distracted after I duckafied Neville and that meant you could easily stun us." Harry was a bit embarrassed that he got so distracted. This wasn't for fun or school but so that he could survive in this war and he should treat it that way.

Amelia looked approving that he could admit his mistake and said, "That is right, Harry. You can never assume that you are alone when battling an opponent. Be on your guard and you are less likely to be cursed in the back. That counts for all three of you."

Susan, Harry and Neville nodded seriously. They would be more on their guard from now on. As the fake Moody kept saying, 'Constant Vigilance'!

Amelia continued with, "Now for what you did good, Harry, you ducked out of the way instead of casting a shield. That is a good thing you did since it costs a lot less time and magic to duck instead of casting the spell for a shield. You also cast a unexpected spell which would be highly distracting on a battlefield. Good choice.

As for you, Susan and Neville, good decision to work together to try and fell a stronger opponent. Unfortunaly you guys didn't count for his ducking away from both of your spells and casting one back. Learn from this spar guys and I hope that tomorrow you will do better."

It was almost time for lunch by now and Amelia decided that Harry and her would spar tomorrow morning instead of now since Harry had also lessons with Augusta after lunch.

After a nice lunch it was time for his lessons with gran. First he got quizzed by her about she had told him the day before in their lessons and when she was happy he remembered what he should she went on with the lesson of today.

Today it was more about the magical families themself. Gran told him about the characteristics of each family and how he could recognise a member of it. Like how the Potters always had messy hair, the Longbottoms hazel eyes, the Bones sky blue eyes, the Malfoys white blond hair and the Slytherins green eyes.

Those things could only a born member of a magical family have and most of the time only the members of the Main branch would inherited the trait. If two Main members of two different families married there would always be a child born with the characteristics of the family he or she was Heir to. So since Harry was decended from three families he would have one child with green eyes, one child with Potter hair and one child with the Black silver blue eyes. But as he was born as a Potter from his fathers side and a Slytherin from his mothers side and so he had the messy Potter hair and the Slytherin green eyes.

If he ever had three children. Harry knew he wanted at least two children so that they would have a sibling to play with but he was only sixteen and he hasn't even a girlfriend yet. And there was a Dark Lord after his life. He shoudn't forget about him.

Gran also told him more about the history of the Potter and Black families. About how the Potter family started as a rich merchant family and a few important inventions made by a Potter like the most recent Sleekeazy hair potion. Harry resolved to try harder with potions even if Snape was the professor.

She also told him about the Potter tendency to fall in love only once in their life and to be very careful to whom he gave his heart to. She told him how his father courted his mother after she finally allowed him to.

And she told him about the courtship between Sirius and Remus. Harry knew that Sirius and Remus had a past together but actual courtship? With the way Remus quickly thought the worst of Sirius from what Harry had seen from the man interacting with Sirius?

Harry really didn't understand the wolf. Perhaps it was time to de some research on werewolves? Maybe there was something he didn't know about them that could help him explain Remus behavior.

After Harry had recovered from that news gran continued with telling him about the Black family. The Black family had always been a noble one. There was even some royal blood in the Black family from marriages with muggle royalty.

Harry was surprised to hear about Blacks marrying muggles even if it was royalty but Gran explained that it was only in the last few generations that the Blacks muggle hatred was a thing. Before that the Black family motto Toujours Pur meant being pure of magic and craft. Not the pure of blood that it was now.

Harry knew immediately that he would the take back the old meaning of Toujours Pur. A new generation of Blacks with a new-ish motto.

After this very informative talk, it was time for dance lessons again. Harry was able to perform the basic steps now but now he had to be able to dance the five different waltzes with gran before the summer ended.

Harry was glad to notice that he was getting quite good with the Viennese Waltz and even gran seemed to be enjoying herself at the end of the lesson. Harry knew that he had gotten more graceful after the blood-adoption. The old him would never have gotten it so quickly.

After the lesson Harry went to call for Dobby so that they could go home again. It was almost dinner time again and Kreacher would be waiting for them so that they could eat dinner together.

Harry called, "Dobby!" And a blushing Dobby appeared.

Harry was amused at the appearance of the Elf and asked Dobby how his day went with trying to woo the pretty Elf Tessy, "Hello Dobby, how was your day?"

Dobby answered with, "Master be kind to ask after Dobby's day. Dobby had a good day! Dobby be helping Tessy with her chores and Tessy even lets him hold her hand once! Dobby be so happy..." The House Elf looked dreamy as he trailed of.

Harry was very amused now but still had to ask Dobby to take them home otherwise they would be late for the dinner Kreacher prepared for them. And Harry did not want an angry Kreacher coming to Longbottom Manor to scold them for being late.

So Dobby took his hand and they popped away to their home and the cranky Elf waiting for them.