An unintended benefit to the Umbridge situation was the appearance of Tonks, who supervised their Defence lessons and actively participated in them, and also duelled with her favourite professor.

Ever the troublemaker, Harry decided that his Flipendo would travel just enough off course to send Professor Lupin flying through the air, right into their new assistant. He had a nice laugh at their expense, especially after seeing just how bright red the two went after being tangled up together. The detention he got for it was definitely worth it, Harry thought to himself as he left to eat.

Their O.W.L.'s had begun, as well as the N.E.W.T.'s and the normal exams for the other years, leaving the students with very little free time outside of meals. Even two weeks after Umbridge was removed, Harry noticed how unified the school still was, almost as if there had been a permanent shift within the school. Perhaps he could talk the current first years into helping the new arrivals next year, carrying it on like a tradition. He had already done his written exams for Arithmancy, Runes, Herbology, and Potions, with Charms, Defence, Transfiguration, and Astronomy yet to come, as well as the practical exams later in the week. Some students had been sent to the Hospital Wing for panic attacks and were sent off with a Calming Draught, something that Professor Snape always produced a surplus of during exam season.

According to Ron, the Divination exam was ridiculously easy, with him "spouting nonsense" to her. Personally, Harry couldn't imagine wasting that much of his life on a subject that he didn't enjoy.

Something Harry hadn't expected was the change in Neville, who had become more focused on training with Harry and Elias, as well as any Viper who would spend time training with him. Ever since the announcement of the breakout from Azkaban he had been angrier all the time, even hurting Harry during a sparring match. It was this incident that inspired Harry to sit down and talk to him, with Harry learning about Barty Crouch Jr and Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange torturing his parents into a permanent catatonic state. Sure, he had spoken to Neville briefly in St Mungo's, but he hadn't quite realised the extent of what had happened to Neville's parents. The whole event had caused Harry to become aware that everyone had demons, even if they acted like they didn't. Dudley told him that he was experiencing a feeling called sonder, or the realisation that everyone was the main character in their own story.

That realisation would stick with Harry, as it had been something he had never considered before.

/_^_^/_

"Wotcher, Harry, how are the exams going?" Tonks asked Harry as he walked in for his detention with Professor Lupin.

"Honestly? Better than expected, but I can't know how well I've done until the summer. How has your assignment at Hogwarts been going? Are you a full Auror now?"

"I'm glad to hear you're confident about this. I'm enjoying being back here, I feel like an eighth year, and yes, I am a full Auror now."

"Eighth year?"

"Yeah… a student who returns to begin pursuing a mastery under one of the Professors. Are you honestly saying there are none here currently?"

"As it happens there is a seventh year who is interested in staying behind," Professor Lupin interjected. "A particularly dedicated young lady named Angelina Johnson, the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor. She has asked to study under me, and while I cannot offer her a Mastery, nor the beginnings of one, I can ask Professor Flitwick about his connections and have the Mastery split between the two of us. I'm honestly surprised that Professor Dumbledore agreed to go with it, he's been a lot more affable of late."

"You're boring the poor boy, Remus," Tonks joked, earning a laugh from Harry before he defended his Professor.

"Actually, I may be interested in pursuing a Charms Mastery myself. It has always been my favourite subject, with Defence and Duelling being my next favourites. Although there is Transfiguration, which I find thoroughly fascinating."

"What about Potions?" Professor Lupin asked, his detentions often consisting of talking and advice.

"I don't know, I enjoy brewing Potions, and for years I've had Occlumency lessons with him, but this year we haven't interacted much outside of lessons. He hasn't said anything, so as far as I'm concerned he's fine with the arrangement," Harry answered, his voice slightly sad, even through his unbothered persona.

"Are you taking it at N.E.W.T. level?"

"Well of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Have you considered that Professor Snape remembers the stress of his own fifth year and as such understands that you have had to sacrifice a few extra curricular activities, add onto that the fact that you're teaching a large chunk of the school yourself. I honestly mean this when I say this, but you are a perfect mix of Lily's love of being helpful and James' love of spectacle and dramatics." Professor Lupin had a reminiscent tone in his voice, remembering his fallen friends fondly.

"I'm not dramatic, am I?" Harry sounded shocked at the attribution of such a quality to him, both Tonks and Professor Lupin turned to him with doubtful expressions, with Harry's cry of "What?" invoking laughter from the two at Harry's expense.

They were still laughing five minutes later when the hour was up and Harry left, though not before a joke about the two dating, which scandalised the older man and had Tonks glaring daggers at Harry's back.

The rest of that week would see the bulk of the practical exams for the subjects he had already finished the written exams in. For tonight however, Harry would be teaching Elias and his third year friends some more advanced Charm work.

/_-_^_^-^/

The Black Family Estate House in the North of England had seen many generations of the Black family from the third century up until the sixteenth, with various sections being torn down and rebuilt over that time, resulting in a rather ugly house hidden from the world with powerful wards. Now however, it stood as the meeting place for the Order of the Phoenix, many of whom were still sceptical of the supposedly redeemed Dark Lord, while others had begun to build somewhat of a rapport with the man, knowing that if he was truly on their side that he would be a very powerful ally.

Someone who just couldn't understand that was Molly Weasley, who insisted that the man was behind the recent breakout from Azkaban, claiming that he had betrayed their trust and carried out the act in question.

"Albus, just look at the evidence that clearly shows that Voldemort's people escaped from Azkaban, and we have Voldemort right here in front of us!" Molly shouted, her wand drawn and pointing at the once shard of Voldemort.

"I have questioned him about the events and he has assured me that he had no idea about it before it happened, nor has he learned anything in the meantime," Dumbledore calmly answered.

"While I understand your concern I have had no hands in this, none at all," Tom Riddle replied. "I have offered testimony under Veritaserum, as well as Pensieve memories of my creation. All have been declined and that trust now extends both ways. You should see the work I'm doing in Little Hangleton, the village down there is bustling with a population increase of 300 percent. I'm very proud of my efforts down there."

"I may well do just that, surely the people there will give a more accurate picture as to what you've been doing down there," Molly countered, her finger pointed in Tom's face, but thankfully not her wand.

When the meeting ended, Mundungus Fletcher followed Tom back to Little Hangleton, departing after a moment of observing the man.