Severus was awakened by the sound of an owl tapping on his window, waiting to be let in.
"All right, I'm coming, I'm coming," he yawned and stumbled over to the window, opening and shutting it quickly.
The owl elegantly perched itself on the back of a chair and waited for him to take the letter.
"Who in the world sends an owl in this hour of the day?" he briefly wondered before taking the letter and opening it.
"Hi Sev!
I've just spent my first day at Durmstrang, and I've learned many things about its history and how things work here. Did you know we have to take tests for many days before regular classes begin? It sucks.
I also learned that our deputy head master is an ex-Death Eater, Nataniel Aino. Is he safe? I don't recognize the name, so I decided to ask you just in case.
Oh, and anyway, Vik and I checked out the library for the books you told us to read today, and we couldn't find 'A Hufflepuff's guide to brewing complicated potions' or 'The charming charms book' anywhere. Could you please buy us a copy each? We'll send you the money by owl as soon as you mail the prize.
How are you by the way? When Gred and Forge (funny names, don't you think?) owled me last week, they told me that you had held a lecture on DADA with Moony and Padfoot. You and Padfoot didn't turn the entire hall pink I hope?
Anyway, write back soon. You can probably expect another letter in a couple days concerning the results.
Love, Harry.
PS. Vik told me to ask you which secondary classes I should take if I pass the basic tests. There are Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, and Martial Arts. We can take as many as we want, but if we choose more than four, we will have to take classes at weekends. DS."
Severus smiled slightly at Harry's letter. Who else would send one in the middle of the night? Then he pondered what the boy had written about the Death Eater teacher. Nataniel Aino… He remembered the man as one of the less brainwashed Death Eaters who'd quickly given up when the Ministry started picking up Death Eaters after Voldemort's disappearance. He had willingly given up important facts, and had not protested against the sentence of a year in Azkaban. Severus doubted he was one of Voldemort's faithful. But it was easy to check.
Deciding to reply to the letter at once (before he fell asleep), Severus groped around inside a drawer to find ink and a quill. Then he sat down by his desk and started to write.
"Dear Harry!
I'm happy you seem to enjoy Durmstrang and are well. About the lecture, no, Sirius and I did not turn the hall pink. But I don't think the ceiling will ever be the same again (Sirius and I accidentally changed it into a huge mirror). Albus seemed very amused though.
About Nataniel Aino. I remember the man, and I don't think you have anything to fear from him. He was one of the few among Voldemort's followers who used their brain somewhat on their own. When the Ministry got him after Voldemort's disappearing act, he willingly submitted himself to his sentence. But how did you find this out, and is it confirmed?
Concerning your eventual secondary classes, I recommend to you to choose Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Elemental Studies, and Martial Arts. Divination might sound interesting to you, but for some reason, there is a complete lack of competent professors in that subject. You already know as much about muggles you need to know and I'm planning to give you some tutoring on Astronomy this summer. It's nothing you need for the moment.
What more can I say? I'll send you two the books you need first thing in the morning – and don't worry about payment, your parents took the liberty to transfer enough money to my account at Gringott's here in London to pay for at least a thousand books each.
I'll look forward to your next letter.
Sev."
Yawning, he tied the letter to the owl and opened the window to let the owl out.
"There you are," he sleepily said, watching the owl fly out.
Then he shut the window and stumbled back to his bed.
***
Harry nervously sat on the back of the classroom waiting to receive his test. He didn't know quite what to expect of a theoretical test on flying. The other tests on charms and all that were all fine and dandy (in his opinion, they were nowhere as hard as Severus' lessons), but he couldn't quite see how one did a theoretical test on flying. Another disadvantage for him was that he had never flown on a broom in all his life.
As the flying instructor handed him the test, he quickly read the instructions and then exhaled. They were just going to summarize the broom's history and explain the basics of Quidditch. That he could do, with Severus' thorough history lessons and his mother's Quidditch shop, how could he not?
As with most of the tests, they were supposed to hand the answers in and follow the teacher to do the practical part. And when Harry finally got to follow the teacher outside, he was shaking. He wasn't sure if it was because of fear or anticipation though.
Arvi lead him to a broom placed innocently on the ground and gestured to him.
"Go on," he encouraged him. "Show me what you can do. And don't worry about falling – the whole field has a soft landing spell on it."
Harry nodded and nervously walked over to the broom. He had seen his parents do it thousands of times, and Viktor too since he started school, but he wasn't certain that he could do it.
"Up!" he ordered the broom, keeping his voice firm as it wanted to break.
But to his relief, the broom shot right up into his waiting hand. Taking a deep breath, he straddled the broom and softly placed his long, tanned hands on the stick, wrapping them around the handle. Then he softly pulled it upwards and was rewarded as the broom obediently rose upwards. He grinned broadly; this wasn't as hard as he'd feared. Starting to experiment, he soon sped around the field, making loops and tight turns.
When the professor finally waved him down, he was flying at least 70 feet above the ground. Making a spectacular dive, he landed next to Arvi and stepped off the broom, his cheeks bright red from the excitement.
"That was bloody wonderful!" he grinned, his eyes twinkling.
Arvi smiled slightly and raised one of his eyebrows.
"When you're behaving like that," he kindle said, "one could think you had never been on a broomstick before."
Harry laughed and turned away to lean the broom against a tree.
"I haven't," he admitted. "But as far as this go, it was amazing!"
He heard a strange noise and turned around to look strangely at Arvi.
"Arvi?" he asked. "Are you ok?"
The man took a breath and nodded kindly at him.
"Yes," he replied. "I'm just so surprised that you haven't flown before. Your brother is a fantastic flyer, and I know your mother has a Quidditch shop. You should have flown before. I've never seen anyone fly like that their first time on a broom!"
Harry gave him an elated smile.
***
Viktor grumpily opened his eyes under Harry's insistent shaking. He knew that it couldn't be later than dawn, not even his little brother should be awake at this time. Resting at his elbows, he looked curiously at Harry, whom seemed to be jumping up and down in excitement.
"What?" he asked caught up in Harry's evident bliss.
His brother stopped jumping to pounce on him, his teal colored eyes bright and cheery.
"I got the results from my secondary tests!" he grinned, his cheeks flushed. "I'm an advanced! And Severus is coming today!"
Viktor shot out of bed, hugging his little brother, sharing his happiness.
"That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
Then he remembered something and pulled back, looking at Harry.
"Oops," he subdued said.
Harry was a little more graphic.
"Shit!" he exclaimed. "Sev is going to kill us!"
Viktor absently wondered where Harry had learned such words and pondered the necessity of doing some teaching to prevent him from using such words in the presence of adults. But then he shoved those thought aside and started moving.
"Where did we put those books?" he hurriedly asked Harry, roughly searching his trunk.
Harry replied from somewhere under his bed.
"I have no bloody idea!" he exclaimed. "We were just supposed to read the first five chapters in all of them, right?"
"I think so," Viktor replied, searching among his covers for them.
Then he heard an absent 'ha!' from the wardrobe.
"I found the!" Harry proclaimed as he pushed a couple of Advanced robes belonging to his brother out of his way. "They were still in you bag since last week."
Viktor released his breath and stopped his search.
"Right," he agreed. "Are our essays still inside?"
Quickly looking though the books, Harry nodded.
"Yes," he answered. "Now we just have a lot of reading to do."
Viktor felt his mood change from bad to worse as he looked at the stack of books in Harry's arms. They almost reached to his eyes.
"A lot," he agreed.
He relieved Harry from some of the books and then they made their way out into the common room. They had some reading to do.
***
Severus swiftly Apparated to the outer limits of Durmstrang's grounds, anticipating his coming meeting with the Death Eater deputy head master. The head mistress had spoken to him through the fire the day before and given him the news of Harry's progress. Not that he had any doubts about the boy's ability to perform magic though. He had spent the night at Raphael's, and had continued his journey to Durmstrang early in the morning. Thank god he'd spent time there before, visiting Malfoy's cousin in his youth, or he would've had to search all over Scandinavia for the damned fortress. Even if the last visit had not exactly been something he wanted to think about, since it had been to show that cursed mark he'd been given by his father when he was young and stupid. That he was a Death Eater wasn't something wasn't something he was terribly proud of.
Walking arrogantly towards the huge fortress, he couldn't help but feel proud. Proud of Harry for being what he was, proud of his ancestors for creating everything. Suddenly he reached the barriers protecting the place though. Ancient magic placed there by the founder himself. Moreover, as it touched his mind and heart, Severus smiled. The magic slowly left him, and he nodded curtly, not knowing quite what he was attributing, but knowing that it was good. A feeling rooted deep in his soul.
A man he easily recognized as Nataniel Aino walked towards him, long copper hair flying around him together with his lavender robes. As he reached Severus, he held out his hand.
"Nataniel Aino, deputy head master and martial arts instructor," he introduced himself.
Severus icily looked at him, using the face he'd always worn before he met Harry. It didn't hurt to take precautions.
"I know," he simply said, no feeling what so ever showing through. "I'm Harry Krums mentor."
Nataniel gave him a sharp look, one that would have felt very uncomfortable if he had not been a Death Eater and a master of it himself. He calmly returned the look and added a ferocious smirk for good measure. The quickly receding color on the other mans face suggested that he had recognized him, and Severus had to hold back a chuckle as the man almost fell to the ground in a bow.
"You're very cautious," he commented, nonchalantly starting to walk to the castle. "You better continue like that. Who knows what could happen if certain things slipped out of your mouth. Like some things that already have."
He could almost feel the man shivering as he led the way to the fortress.
"I won't, sir," he stammered.
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"If you say so," he agreed. "But your loyalty to our Lord is highly questionable. Are you suggesting that it wasn't you who gave up almost the complete inner circle?"
"I-I'm s-sorry, sir," Nataniel exclaimed. "I failed you and our Lord. I beg for punishment."
Severus casually passed Nataniel.
"You will get what you wish for," he indifferently said. "But not now. Punishment is not…something you want to do…in public."
He walked up to the doors.
"No wait, sir!" Nataniel cried out as he reached the top of the stairs. "There are a dark watch spell on the…"
Already aware of the spell, Severus disspipated it and passed through, then turned to Nataniel, who was gawking at him.
"I have a task for you," he simply said, then starting to walk again, knowing that Nataniel would obey the unsaid order to catch up.
Severus smiled a little as Nataniel hurried up to catch up. The professor hadn't changed since he had last seen him. Still submissive and clear sighted. Not to mention harmless. Harry was safe.
***