I don't own Harry Potter. Big thanks to Nauze and Meneldur for their work on this chapter.

Chapter 5: A First Time for Everything

"Bombarda Maxima!"

Harry jolted up in his bed. He was covered in sweat and his body was shaking. He rubbed his hands over his face and pulled away the covers from his bed. He dragged himself onto his feet and made his way into the washroom. The blessings of plumbing and magic meant that Harry could take nice, hot showers at any time of the day that he liked.

As he stood under the scalding water, Harry tried to keep his thoughts from the nightmare that he had awoken from. While they did not happen as often as they had in the days immediately following the war, Harry still did get flashbacks from its final days, specifically his trek into the Forbidden Forest to confront Voldemort. This last dream had been his first recollection of the fateful battle in the Department of Mysteries.

The pain registered in Harry's mind before he realized he had punched the wall. He turned to look and saw that blood covered several of his knuckles, and two of his fingers were positioned wrong. He sighed to himself; there was no way he could explain this away to the matron. He would need to speak to Dorea.

He finished washing himself up and rinsed the blood from his right hand. When he exited the shower, he conjured some gauze and tape and wrapped his hand up a bit so that he would not be dripping blood onto the floor when he went to see his aunt. It took him several tries to do it correctly with his less dominant arm.

After getting permission from Dorea to step through the Floo, Harry sent a Patronus to the Headmaster to let him know that he would be gone from Hogwarts for at least a portion of the day. Harry had already submitted lesson plans, so they would not need him much inside the castle.

Dorea was waiting for him when Harry stepped through the flames. She had her wand and some potions at hand to assist her as needed. Harry lifted his hand and showed her his broken fingers.

"Oh, Harry," she tutted, "Come sit at the table and let's get this looked at."

"Yes, Aunt Dorea," he responded, and Dorea looked gratified that Harry at least looked slightly embarrassed to be needing her help.

Harry went and sat down, with his aunt taking the seat opposite to him. She waved her wand over his hand to remove his incompetent attempt to bandage himself. She ran a few diagnostic charms before finishing with, "Digito Emendo."

The relief that Harry felt was immediate as the bones mended themselves. He could see his fingers straighten out of their own accord. Beside him, he felt as Dorea's gaze bored into his side. His face warmed, but Dorea spoke before he could get a word out.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" her voice gave nothing away and her eyes were steely.

Harry rubbed his left hand over the back of his head, wary of using his right hand so soon. "I had a nightmare last night," he brought his hand down and smiled ruefully, "it was a memory, to be precise."

Dorea raised an eyebrow, though Harry noticed the softening in her eyes and he pushed through, "It the skirmish in the Department of Mysteries," he rubbed his face, "I'm not sure I could explain what it felt like to go through the Veil. It wasn't painful. I've felt death before and dying at Voldemort's hand was frightening. The second time, though..."

Dorea grasped his right hand, massaging where he had broken his fingers earlier. "It didn't hurt, so I suppose it wasn't as bad as the first time?"

Harry nodded. "It wasn't, but that's the thing..." He looked into his aunt's eyes. "I feel like I shouldn't have been so calm coming back. I shouldn't feel this... normal."

Dorea tutted, "But you don't feel normal."

Harry made to speak but Dorea forestalled him with a raised hand. "If you felt normal, you wouldn't have reacted by hitting something like a brain-dead dragon this morning. It's okay to grieve for everything you've lost."

Harry looked down at his lap, feeling a few tears drip down his face. "I know that, but I don't know how."

Dorea frowned a bit. "Cry, scream, rage. All of those are acceptable. Maybe arranging a duel with different people would be helpful?"

Harry scrunched his eyebrows. "Duels?"

Dorea nodded. "Professor Flitwick, as you know, is a duelling champion. I'm sure he would love the opportunity to test his wand against yours. I'll also speak to Arcturus. He probably knows a good duellist or two that could stand against you to allow you to let off some steam."

"Really?" asked Harry.

Dorea nodded. "Arcturus loves watching duelling tournaments and sponsoring different duellists. He's bound to know a few that could go up against you for a spar."

"Thanks, Aunt Dorea," said Harry, "I should get going, I'm sure you have things to get done."

"Nonsense," came Lucille's voice as she came into the room. "You're here now, which means you will share breakfast with us."

Harry gave a small grin as he settled into his chair. He loved having family members that cared about his well-being.

As Lucille took a seat and began pouring herself some tea, a question came to Harry's mind and he voiced it, "Grandmother, why did Arcturus call you the Lady Potter, and why is he referred to as Lord Black? I thought our world didn't have a nobility?"

Lucille snorted. "It is a reminder to all that we are all rich snobs. While families, like ours, the Malfoys, and the Blacks have long-held landed estates, none of them are tied to actual titles, other than the Malfoys, who still hold on to their Muggle-given ones. It's all a bunch of crockery to make us seem more... dignified."

The last word came out like a curse, and Lucille pulled out and lit a cigarette. After inhaling and releasing a puff of smoke, she continued, "The House of Lords in the Wizengamot is tied to some of the oldest families in Britain. We once held a seat there, but it was lost in 1652 when Ralston Potter put his full weight behind the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Many in Britain wanted to wage war against the Muggles, but at the cost of his seat, Ralston managed to avoid war."

Harry waited patiently as she took in another puff of smoke. "Our world is deeply flawed, and our long lives mean we hold many memories. Look, for example, at Headmaster Dippet. He was born during Ralston's lifetime and remembers what life was like before the statute was instated. As long as our collective memory persists in encouraging us to hold on to tradition, we will cling to them until we are naught but dried, withered vines on the majestic tree of our history."

When Harry's first class started the next week, he felt more than prepared for his first-year students. He had taught concepts much more advanced than these before, both to Hogwarts students and fellow Auror recruits.

The Sorting had gone how Harry had surmised it would for Sirius, James, Lily, and the other Marauders. When he had seen that they would be his first students this year, he had to keep in his excitement. It wouldn't have done well to whoop for joy in the Great Hall after all.

Harry stood anxiously behind his desk as the first-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs entered the class. He could see the recognisable form of Remus and the younger Peter. Even at the age of eleven, Peter's face remarkably resembled that of a rodent, and Harry had to keep himself from laughing. Remus looked slightly feeble, and Harry remembered that his transformation would be in a few days. He had charmed a calendar in his quarters to identify the moon phases so that he could track the young werewolf's transformations.

The students began taking their seats. Lily sat in the very front row, and Harry couldn't help the desire to stare, which he studiously quashed. After all, it was rude to stare, and it was not like Lily would understand why she drew his gaze.

He waited for all the students to finish taking their seats before flicking his wand to the door. He did not even bother to see if his magic had worked as he walked to the front of his desk and leaned against its front ledge.

"Good morning, class!" greeted Harry with a grin. He was thankful when a majority of the class responded with equal enthusiasm.

"I am pleased to welcome you all to Hogwarts. Especially to all of our Muggle-born students. This is a brand new world for all of you. I am excited to share this first year with all of you." Harry paused to flick his wand so that his desired writing, Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts, appeared on the board. "Our class meets in the mornings at 9 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I highly recommend that you get a good night's sleep and a good breakfast before attending class."

He picked up his parchment with the class roll on it, "I'll call out roll really quick. A 'here' will suffice in response. If you have a nickname you'd like to go by, let me know so I can change it on my roster."

He went around the room taking the roll call and was relieved that all of his students were here for their first day. Task done, he placed the sheet down and looked around the class. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

When he got nods in return, Harry straightened up and looked around the room. "This class is to teach you how to defend yourself and, if needed, others, from what we wizards," he nodded towards Lily, "and witches call the 'Dark Arts'. While it is a blanket term for any piece of magic created with the intent to harm or kill, it covers a wide range of topics and subjects. The Dark Arts cover several different branches of magic; in particular, your time at Hogwarts will focus on Potions and Charms, though we will also cover dangerous magical creatures.

"So, now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about classes of dark spells. Does anyone know any?" Harry asked the class.

A few hands hesitantly rose, and Harry looked around before pointing to a young Hufflepuff, "Young man, and for the first few weeks, I would like all of you to state your name before giving your answers so that I can connect names to faces."

The Hufflepuff that Harry had chosen blushed a bit at the attention but answered firmly, "Kyle Proudfoot. And wouldn't jinxes be one of the classes?"

"Very good, Kyle, five points to Hufflepuff," nodded Harry. He flicked his wand so that the word 'jinxes' appeared on the board. "Jinxes are indeed a class of dark spells. They more often than not tend to cause irritation, rather than actual harm, though I have seen quite a few dangerous jinxes. Does anyone know of any jinxes?"

At the back of the class, James's hand went up, and Harry pointed to him. "James Potter. My mum told me about the Stinging Jinx."

"Very good, yes, that one would not be a fun jinx to be hit with for anybody. Five points to Gryffindor!" Harry caused the incantation, Aculeus, to appear next to 'jinx', "The Stinging Jinx, which we will cover later, can cause a rather nasty weal and is best dealt with an anti-inflammation charm or a pack of ice. We will go over the counter-charm in a few weeks."

When students put down their quills after taking the notes, Harry asked for the next class of dark spells. There were fewer hands this time, and Harry called on a Gryffindor he didn't recognize from old photos, "The young lady in the second row."

"Marlene McKinnon. Hexes are the next class of dark spells, right?" she finished, looking a bit shy, and Harry nodded, barely noticing as the word appeared on the board.

"Marlene is, of course, correct. Another five points to Gryffindor. Hexes cause moderate-to-severe suffering, though they tend not to be lethal. Can anyone give me a hex?"

A few more hands went up, and Harry called on the Hufflepuff sitting next to Marlene, "Alice Carter. The Tickling Hex used to be used for torture."

Harry lowered his glasses a bit and focused on the Hufflepuff. "Note to self and the class, never underestimate Ms. Carter; she might just surprise you. Well done, Alice, five points to Hufflepuff. Medieval torturers used the Tickling Hex because prolonged exposure can cause mental instability and lung and throat damage.

"We are down to our final class of dark spells. Who wants to give this one a shot?" asked Harry.

Only a small handful of hands went up in the air this time. Harry pointed to a Hufflepuff in the third row, "Arthur Marchbanks. Curses are the worst class."

"Indeed they are. Five points to Hufflepuff," Harry responded as the last class appeared on the board, "Curses are highly dangerous and are often lethal. Does anyone know of a curse aside from the Unforgivables?"

In the back of the class, Sirius raised his hand. "Sirius Black. The Blasting Curse."

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor." Harry flicked his wand, and Confringo appeared on the board, next to 'curses'. "The Blasting Curse is rather dangerous and when used at short or medium distances, can be outright fatal. I have seen it do some nasty things. Fortunately, this is a spell we won't be discussing together for several more years. If used on a fellow human, be they wizard or muggle, most curses will earn you a stint at Azkaban. As some of you know, the use of an Unforgivable Curse will earn you a lifetime stay in the prison. It's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone."

The class was staring at him with rapt attention as he finished, and Harry smiled at them. "Let's move on to some basic spell knowledge. The Dark Arts usually cover charms, potions, and enchantments, so you'll need to focus in those classes because sometimes, even the smallest detail can get you out of quite a pickle."

He had them read from the first chapter in their textbooks for the rest of the first class, specifically the section on the Lumos spell. He wanted them to have a session of charms before showing them their first spells in his class, as it would help compliment some of the notes they were to take on the spell. When there were some groans, he reminded them, "It is important to get the theory work done first."

At the end of the class, he stood and released them for their next class, "Great job, all of you. Next week, we will start working on our first spells. Read the rest of the first chapter in your textbooks before then, as we will be starting with a quiz. You are dismissed, and I will see you all next week."

The class began getting up to leave, and Harry waved his wand over the board to clear it of markings for his third-year students before calling out, "Mr. Lupin, a few minutes of your time, if you would?"

Peter, James, and Sirius looked at Remus when the boy paused and looked back fearfully at his professor. Harry smiled at their already growing bond of friendship. "Go ahead and head off to your next class, boys. I need a private moment with Mr. Lupin. He'll be with you in a few minutes."

The boys looked nervous but went ahead and left the room and headed off to their next class. Harry cast some wards against eavesdropping, just to be sure, and invited Remus to the front of the classroom.

"What do you need, Professor?" asked Remus, still looking anxious.

Harry gave a kind smile to the man that had been his mentor and his inspiration for teaching the students. "The Headmaster wanted me to let you know that we have decided on how to keep yourself and others safe during your transformations."

"Really?" Remus's eyes were wide with both fear and hope before he focused them down on his shoes.

Harry nodded, even though the boy was not looking at him. "On Sunday, the Headmaster and I will take you to a shack that he has purchased, and that's where you'll have your transformations. On Monday, I will be there in the morning to bring you back to the castle. Depending on how you recover from the transformation, the professors may send the coursework to you instead of sending you off to class."

Remus looked slightly overwhelmed. Tears were brimming in his eyes as he looked up and Harry felt compelled to add, "What happened to you is nobody's fault but Fenrir's, okay?"

When Remus gave a slight nod, Harry stood from his reclining spot, "You're not a monster, Remus, and let no one tell you otherwise."

Remus stood up straighter, and Harry gave him another soft smile. He went behind his desk and grabbed a quill and a small piece of parchment. "I'll get you a note; who's your next professor?"

"Professor McGonagall," answered Remus, his attention having returned to his shoes.

Harry nodded as he put down the quill. "She will require a note then." He tapped the note with his wand to prevent tampering and handed the note to Remus. "I will see you on Saturday, Remus."

Remus took the note with a small smile and nodded as he hefted his pack back on his shoulders and headed out to the door. "Have a great day, Professor!"

September 5, 1971

After eating a private lunch with the Headmaster, Harry and Albus were waiting outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. A note had been sent to Remus that morning to meet them at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower after his lunch.

"I have heard that you are popular with the seventh years, Professor," Albus said with a slight gleam in his eyes, "Something about taking the Prewett brothers down a peg."

Harry chuckled. The Friday morning class with his seventh years had indeed been entertaining. He had challenged any two students to step forward and take him on in a duel. The Prewett brothers, Fabian and Gideon, had leapt ahead like true Gryffindors and attacked him.

He turned back to Albus and responded, "They are brave students and a credit to their house. They will be a force to be reckoned with a bit more training, and if they learn to use their heads a bit more."

Albus nodded, "The curse that afflicts so many alumni Gryffindor, many of our house do not always remember that it's not the best idea to rush into situations." His eyes shone as he shared a conspiratorial grin with Harry. "Not that rushing into a situation hasn't helped me in a moment or two."

The portrait swung open, and several older Gryffindor students came out, brooms in hand. They shared greetings with the two professors before heading out to the pitch for what Harry was sure would be an exciting afternoon of soaring through the skies.

"I imagine so. Sometimes it's best to do so," agreed Harry when the group passed. He checked his wristwatch. "Remus should be coming down in a few minutes."

Albus gave a small chuckle, "The youth are almost always in a rush." His face took on a frown. "Young Remus, he has a very old soul."

"He's been forced to grow up young," acknowledged Harry. "I hope he can make friends among his age group. He'll need their support in the coming years."

The portrait opened up and out stepped Remus in a plain shirt and pants. Harry noted that Remus was already looking sickly and pale. The boy looked up sheepishly from his feet to his professors, "I don't want to tear my robes, so I left them behind."

Albus smiled genially, "Getting new school robes each month would be quite tedious, I would imagine. Let us get to where we need to be going then."

The three of them walked in companionable silence from Gryffindor tower to the Entrance Hall. Harry could tell that the young boy beside them felt a bit tense, and he could not blame Remus one bit. It must have been terrifying to have his first transformation away from his parents in a place where he only knew a few people. That would be frightening to any child.

Albus began humming a little tune to himself, and Remus looked up at the older man with a puzzled look on his face before shaking it off and looking back down at his shoes. Albus kept humming, and Remus began fidgeting a bit. He seemed to be fighting with a decision to ask whatever was bothering him about Albus's humming but kept stopping himself, much to Harry's confusion.

"Sir," Remus began, seeming to finally muster some of that inner Gryffindor bravery, "why are you humming to muggle music?"

Albus paused his humming as they made their way into the sunny pavilion, "You know of the piece?"

Remus nodded, a faint blush reaching his cheeks, "My mother used to play it after the worst transformations, in the beginning."

Albus raised a single eyebrow that managed to convey none of the emotions that Harry had been expecting, "Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, also known as?" he finished leadingly.

It was Harry who answered, the pieces finally clicking in his mind, "The Moonlight Sonata? How do you know that piece, Professor?"

Albus looked over his glasses at Harry with a deadpan stare, and Harry felt all of eleven years old once more. "I am well versed in classical muggle music."

Remus spoke again, "It was good to listen to after the worst nights. It is a very soothing piece of music."

"Indeed it is," Albus agreed before drawing his wand. They were near the Whomping Willow, and Harry drew his wand as well. The tree was aggressive at the best of times and could be downright cruel at others.

"There is a knot at the base of the tree," Albus raised his wand, "that if hit appropriately," a long rod formed itself in his other hand, "can cause the tree to open up to a hidden passageway."

He took the rod and used it to push the knot at the bottom of the tree, causing the tree's roots to unfurl themselves, opening up a hole in the area around Albus, into which he urged them all forward. Harry led the way into the passageway, and he heard the tree twist shut behind them as they all moved forward. He lit the tip of his wand and moved to the side so that Albus could step forward and take the lead. Albus strode past them, wand held aloft.

"Was that a conjuration that you used to open up the Willow, Headmaster?" asked Remus.

"It was," answered Albus, "Terrific on you for recognizing such advanced magic. That is some impressive theoretical knowledge. I think ten points to Gryffindor would be most appropriate, don't you agree, Professor?"

"For sure," Harry said with a grin, "I'm glad you are taking the readings seriously, and I'm sure Professor McGonagall will be ecstatic to hear about your knowledge in the field."

Remus blushed, "My father works with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He used to conjure items that I could tear apart without damaging other, more important things in the house."

Their trek came to an end, and Albus led them into what would become the Shrieking Shack. In comparison to how it had looked in Harry's third year, the building looked nearly pristine. Remus looked around curiously while Albus waved his wand, muttering under his breath as he did.

After a few moments, Albus brought his wand down and turned to his companions, "The entire building has been heavily warded to draw attention away from the villagers. You will also not be able to escape the building unless someone comes to collect you."

Remus had some tears in his eyes that he wiped away. He looked around the room again in a sort of awe, "Thank you, Headmaster."

Albus smiled, a warmth that Harry had always associated with the headmaster filling his eyes, "There will always be room at Hogwarts for those in need of her assistance."

Remus flushed, once again unsure what to say, and Harry placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. When the boy looked up at him, Harry said, "Remember what I told you at the end of our last class. You are not a monster, no matter what others may say about you. You will be protected as long as you are a student here at Hogwarts."

"Thank you again, professors," Remus said.

Said professors nodded before Albus pulled out a pocket watch, "We'd best get going; the moon shall rise in a couple of hours."

"I'll be back in the morning to take you back to the castle," said Harry as they prepared to leave, "and get you all healed up if need be."

Remus nodded, and Harry felt Albus grab his shoulder. The world twisted around them as he felt the familiar pull in his gut. They landed outside of the Hog's Head Inn, and Albus led the way inside. Harry could see the Headmaster's brother washing a large mug behind the counter and he merely scowled when he noticed his newest patrons.

Albus took Harry to a small table in one of the darker corners of the Inn. A small plaque above the table read, "Property of the Dumbledore family". Harry figured it made some sense that Aberforth had set aside a small place for his brother. Harry took the seat opposite Albus and both of them quietly picked up their menus.

Harry perused the menu until he saw a listing that brought forth unbidden memories of a quiet date over candlelight. It had been years since that date, and Harry felt a longing to see Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys once more. He placed the menu back on the table and saw that Albus had already set his menu down. Aberforth was already approaching the table.

"Already decided on an option?" asked Aberforth.

Albus went first, "A shepherd's pie for me, Aberforth, and a butterbeer."

Aberforth turned to Harry, who said, "I'll take a butterbeer as well, but I'd like the steak and kidney pie."

Aberforth nodded. "The food will be along in a few minutes."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "An unusual choice."

Harry nodded, a small grin forming as memories played themselves in his mind. "A few years ago, someone offered it to me during a date. While we never stayed together, the meal was rather delicious. Since it's on the menu, I decided that I might as well have some while I was here."

Albus nodded along, "If a friend suggests a meal, it is often a good one. So, tell me a bit about yourself."

Harry resisted the urge to frown, "What would you like to know?"

"Well, I know that you are a highly capable wizard," Albus acknowledged, "but tell me more about the person."

"I love flying," Harry said with a grin. "There's nothing quite like having the wind flow through your hair. I've always felt free in the air."

"When I was younger, I too could find great solace being in the air." Albus's eyes glazed over in the distance, wistful. "There is nothing quite like having a clear sky to remove dark thoughts from your mind."

Albus focused back on Harry. "I noticed that your office has quite the assortment of books. Which subjects do you like to study most?"

Aberforth came back with mugs of butterbeer and Harry took a gulp of the familiar drink before answering, "I have always excelled in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I imagine my theoretical knowledge of the Dark Arts surpasses quite a few. Lately, however, I have been focusing on Potions and Transfiguration."

"Quite interesting subjects." Albus paused, grinning "You might have heard this, but I am rather well-acquainted with the subject of Transfiguration."

Harry snorted. "I might have heard something along those lines, yes."

"Well, feel free to pester me if you have any questions," said the Headmaster, and Harry found that he was quite grateful for the older man's offer. Then he thought of Remus, and Harry realized that there might be something the older man could help him with.

"What do you know about the animagus transformation, sir?" asked Harry.

This time, Albus took a sip from his drink before answering, "While I have never felt the need to do it myself, I do possess the theoretical knowledge and practical potion ability to oversee someone's transformation, if that is what you're asking."

Harry nodded. "It is."

Albus steepled his fingers together. "May I ask why you wish to go down this route? It can be an incredibly dangerous process."

"A man I knew when I was a teenager," said Harry, "was a sufferer of lycanthropy and used to tell me how his friends learned how to become animagi so that he would not be alone during the transformation. According to him, it helped him keep a semblance of sanity during the episodes since they couldn't be infected while transformed."

Aberforth came with their dinners, and for a few moments, there was an air of silence as the two men dug into their meals. After a few bites, Albus put his fork down, "So, I presume then, that you wish to be of some assistance to Mr. Lupin during his transformations?"

Harry nodded, still chewing on a rather juicy morsel of steak, though he too put his fork down. As the twins had reassured him, the steak in the pie was perfectly tender.

"When would you be free to meet during the week, then?" asked Albus.

"I can meet any of the evenings but Mondays and Fridays," answered Harry before taking a swig from his mug.

"I know that on Mondays you meet with your uncle," said Albus. "But what will be occupying your Friday evenings?"

"Next week, I will be taking a benchmark of all my students," said Harry. He had a grin on his face as he spoke of the idea that had come to him after a conversation with the Potions professor, "The highest two male students and the highest two female students in each year above the 1st year students will be studying beneath me with the goal of an apprenticeship. I know Professor Merrythought had a similar program while she was professor of DADA, and I would like to reinstate the program."

"Very well," Albus conceded. "I would like to see a proposal on my desk within a week and we can discuss options with Professor Pyrites."

It was not exactly the resounding support that Harry had been hoping for from the Headmaster, but he would take it. He made a note to take some time writing up a proposal for exactly what he was envisioning to do with his little pet project.

"Back to the animagus project, Harry," said Albus, cutting into Harry's thoughts, "We can begin working on that on Tuesday and Thursday evenings if that works with you?"

Harry grinned. "That sounds perfect."

The rest of their meal passed in quiet conversation about simple matters before they both felt it was time to return to the castle and catch some sleep. As Albus reminded Harry, "We aren't getting any younger, and we need all the beauty sleep we can get."

Harry had fallen asleep rather quickly after entering his chambers, barely remembering to set an alarm before falling onto his bed in a heap.

The next day, Harry rose before the sun, though all of his joints greatly protested this decision. He put on his teaching robes after his morning care activities and went back out towards the Whomping Willow. The sun was already rising by the time Harry entered the tunnel, and he could already hear Remus's moans after turning back into his human form.

Harry entered the room and was surprised by just how much damage had been caused. In his timeline, there had always been signs of Remus's presence in the shack, but seeing it now made Harry realize that the Marauders must have attempted to keep the shack somewhat orderly. The scene before him was reminiscent of the damage a tornado could cause.

Nothing was in the place where it had originally been. Curtains had been shredded and there were bloodstains on some of them. The sight of the stains twisted Harry's stomach, as he knew exactly what had caused them. There was furniture thrown every which way, and many of them bore claw and teeth marks. At least one of the chairs looked like it had been ripped into small pieces. In the center of the room, lay Remus. He was unclothed and was bleeding from multiple self-inflicted wounds.

Harry conjured some undergarments for Remus before beginning to inspect some of the wounds. He ran his wand over some of the more dangerous lacerations near his neck and on his wrists to temporarily seal them until Madam Pomfrey could take a better look. Flicking his wand to the side, Harry conjured a stretcher and levitated Remus's unconscious body onto it.

After making sure that Remus wouldn't accidentally roll himself off of the stretcher, Harry grabbed hold of the stretcher and apparated to the exterior of the shack. He layered several disillusionment charms over Remus's stretcher and began his trek back to the castle. The sun was showing above the trees and Harry checked his wristwatch. He still had plenty of time to make it back before his class started.

Madam Pomfrey was already up and preparing the ward for Harry and Remus's arrival. She directed him to a rear bed in the ward that was surrounded by curtains and covered with various privacy enchantments. Remus was still under the disillusionment charms, so Harry was able to transfer the boy onto the hospital bed without too much of a ruckus.

Looking down at Remus, Harry felt indignant rage flow through his veins. Fenrir Greyback had done this merely to satiate his own cruel tastes. Attacking a defenseless boy to get back at the man's father. As Remus shivered and let loose another groan, Harry resolved to himself that Fenrir would pay for what he had done to his father's friend. He was distracted from his thoughts when Madam Pomfrey began working on Remus's wounds. She reopened the wounds that Harry had closed haphazardly and made sure the flesh underneath was healed properly. She then closed the wounds and forced the child to drink a Dreamless Sleep potion.

Harry made his way out of the ward, thanking Madam Pomfrey for watching over the boy and asking her to keep him informed on how Remus was feeling. After she assured him that she would indeed keep him updated on Remus's condition, Harry made his way to his classroom and began preparing for the classes that would begin in just a few minutes.

By that evening, Remus was feeling better and had returned to his dorms, which made Harry feel better about his old friend. Harry was currently in his office, preparing for the arrival of his uncle, Charlus. He looked up when he saw a large owl flying towards his window. The owl landed gracefully on his desk and lifted a leg for Harry to retrieve the attached message.

When Harry unfurled the message, he saw that it was from Arcturus. It seemed that Dorea had been able to speak with him after all. In his note, Arcturus invited him to come to Grimmauld Place for the weekend, as a niece of his daughter-in-law was rather adept in defensive magic as well as well-versed in the theory behind the Dark Arts. Harry had to think a bit before it came to his mind just who Arcturus was referencing. Walburga had three nieces. Two of them were still at Hogwarts; Harry taught both of them. This meant that Arcturus was referring to Bellatrix in his letter.

He set down the letter for a moment and thought about it for a few moments. He knew that in his timeline, Bellatrix joined the Death Eaters at some point after her schooling ended. Even if she did not openly support Voldemort this time around, she still was a firm blood purist. Harry considered declining, not sure if he could keep himself from seriously harming her in a duel. But he recalled what Dorea had said, he needed to work some of this stuff out, and Bellatrix was one of the best duelists he had ever seen.

He penned back a response in the affirmative. He attached the note to the owl and sent him off with a small treat. He looked down at his desk and finished putting away the papers he had planned on grading. It was time for Charlus to arrive, and he would have time to grade them after they were done with their training.

Right on time, Charlus's head popped through the flames. "Harry, do you know of a place where we can practice without causing much damage? What we'll be working on is quite dangerous."

Harry stood from his desk. "Sure, come on through."

Charlus came into the room. "We'll need a room good for both potion making and target practice."

Harry began leading them from his office. "There's a room we can use up on the seventh floor."

Harry led him up to where the Room of Requirement was, thinking back to when he had come, a few weeks back, to remove the diadem horcrux. It had been handled quickly and efficiently, and Harry had a grin on his face for nearly two whole days afterward. The Grey Lady had been greatly pleased to see the taint removed from the diadem, even if it meant that the artifact had been lost.

When they got to the room's entrance, Harry put Charlus's request in his thoughts and walked in front of the room three times for what he desired. When the door appeared, Harry held open the door for Charlus and followed him in.

What greeted them upon entry was rather marvelous. There was a table with a cauldron ready for use and the nearby walls were filled with shelves holding potions ingredients. Across from the table on the far side of the room were target dummies situated in a line to resemble real humans. They were keenly similar to the dummies that the Auror training academy used to mimic what could happen to an actual person when using someone's spells on them.

Charlus whistled as he looked around the room. "This is a nice room. We'll need to use it more often for our sessions."

Harry smiled as he followed Charlus to the table where the cauldron sat. "I'll keep that in mind."

Once Harry was situated at the table, Charlus went over to the shelves and began grabbing different ingredients. "We've covered a few different potions, and obviously, you're no slouch when it comes to potioneering, which is a good thing. As an auror, you were trained in how to identify poisons and cure their effects. Now, it is time for us to cover the other side of that spectrum. We'll be covering a few different poisons and the best ways to administer them."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Poisons? Isn't that a bit...cowardly?"

Charlus shook his head. "Some might say that and even believe it, but not with the methods I'll be teaching you. This is how to make poisons useful in the middle of a duel or even a large-scale battle. And this is important because we are fighting in a war against people that have no qualms about killing you. We'll start with a basic hemlock-based poison that you might recognize. While it's important you know how to brew these, the difficult part will come in administering them. If you choose, after today, we can focus on poisons that don't kill, but rather neutralize parts of the body, making it easy to work with."

Charlus brought his ingredients to the table, "I'll begin preparing the ingredients, and hand them to you in the order that they need to go in, as well as instruct you as needed."

Harry nodded and they began to work. It was quiet work, though Charlus took time to explain why it was preferred to use hemlock roots and seeds in the poison instead of the stem or leaves. He also added in different ingredients to mask the smell which could be distinctive. It took them the better part of an hour for the potion to be completed.

When it was done, Charlus drew his wand. "I am going to show you a secret that our family has guarded for centuries. It is part of what has given us our known prowess in battle for so long."

He quietly incanted something that Harry couldn't quite catch and he watched in a mix of terror and fascination as a small portion of the potion came out of the cauldron and seemed to disappear into a mist that hung in the air like a cloud. He turned and stared at Charlus who merely grinned and flicked his wand towards the dummies. The cloud flew towards the mannequins, and since they were designed to be as human-like as possible, they absorbed the poisonous clouds rather well.

It only took a few moments for the impact to become apparent as one by one, the mannequins fell to the ground, "dead". Harry was horrified, but he also found himself reluctantly intrigued, "Are there ways to do this with less-lethal potions?"

Charlus nodded, "Skin absorption is a wonderful way to apply potions to people. The only drawback is that you need heavier doses or more potent ones for it to work so quickly, and exposed areas of skin. That's why we used as much hemlock as we did. But you can see that even a small vial is enough to take a person out of a fight. It would just be a much slower death with lower doses. The best way to do it is if you can target your vapor into the enemies' nostrils; skin contact will work fine, though."

Harry nodded and asked, "And what is the spell?

"It's a Latin-based spell, Potio Audiuuaturum. This is a spell that you'll want to practice a few times on something like water to make sure you have it right. The hemlock potion I made would kill you rather quickly if applied to your skin by accidentally misphrasing the spell."

They spent the rest of the night working on the spell, and Harry was rather gratified when he picked it up rather quickly. Finally, Charlus decided it was time for him to use the spell on the hemlock potion. He took one of the stools and transfigured a stool into a large hawk. Harry focused on the spell while Charlus kept the large bird occupied.

"Potio Audiuuaturum," Harry said, his voice sounding a bit louder as he focused on what he was doing. Harry had to admit to himself that he was a bit surprised when the spell worked. He guided the mist to where the hawk was flying in the center of the room. The effect was nearly instantaneous, the bird stopped flapping its wings and managed to glide down to the floor. It let out a mournful cry, laid its head down, and after a moment, it stopped moving. His application of the spell had worked.

Charlus looked at Harry, a mixture of emotions in his eyes, "My father taught me this spell, it saved my life many times in the war against Grindelwald, and it's how I killed Rosier. Now you have learned this spell. You are or will be, the future head of this family, so I ask that you do not reveal this spell to anyone but your own children and your spouse. It has been a family secret since it was created, centuries ago."

Charlus put away his wand and leaned against the edge of the table, "That spell is kept secret because we have used it to," he paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "we have used it to remove our enemies."

Harry grasped his arm, "You have my word."

A/N: And that's a wrap! I have a Discord that I share with Sectumus Prince for my stories! The invite code is discord . gg / ZaPCTAtkZ4 (just remove any spaces; or alternatively, copy the last section and paste it into the invite section of Discord). All previous links are defunct. The link for that server can be found in my bio! Until the next chapter!