AN: I do not own Harry Potter, that honor goes to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 3 - Ted Tonks

When Harry got back to his room after lunch, he readied himself to take a shower. Staying out in the humid heat of the day sapped a lot of his energy. He hoped a cool shower would allow him to regain his focus. Halfway through weeding, he'd decided to try and do mental calculations for the Expansion Charm but quickly lost his concentration. When that failed, he decided to work on calculating small transfigurations in his mind for transforming the weeds into flowers. He knew he couldn't cast the magic without getting in trouble, but he thought it would be fun to imagine what he could create anyway.

Ron's complaints had grown louder until Ginny threw a potato at him. The hard vegetable took him between the eyes. Mrs. Weasley had to separate everyone, allowing Harry to think in relative silence. Now that he was away from the others and could do magic, he found himself too tired to experiment.

"Harry?" one of the twins asked through the closed door.

"In a moment," he answered and hurriedly pulled his long-sleeved shirt down to cover his chest. "Come in," he called a moment later after he was sure his scars were hidden.

"Blimey, why do you insist on wearing long sleeves?" the twin asked with a shake of his head. "Fred wanted me to let you know we found another solution to the recipe. It's much closer to the cost we discussed earlier," George whispered and glanced over his shoulder. Mrs. Weasley always seemed to know when one of her children was doing something they weren't supposed to.

"Brilliant, what did you change?"

"We should have thought of it earlier, butterscotch. We've been trying to combine ingredients to get the effect we want but forgot simple ingredients work just as well, if not better."

"Bugger," Harry muttered with a shake of his head. "I forgot about that too. While we're at it, we could try cinnamon, chocolate, or peppermint. All three would help with the taste and have a lingering aftertaste."

"We had the same thought," George said with a grin. "Just wanted to let you know. The next product on the list is Blanching Powder. If you look white as a ghost, then the professors will let you out of class."

After a lengthy shower, Harry dressed in clean clothes and crawled into bed with a book. The sound of distant thunder made him smile. He thought he could almost hear Ron's bellow of protest at the sky from somewhere downstairs. After reading for an hour, Harry closed the book and closed his eyes. He was having trouble concentrating on Advanced Human Transfiguration Theory. His dilemma about Sirius kept creeping into his thoughts.

"Bloody hell," he muttered and put the book down on the bedside table. He looked at the black mirror Sirius gave him and grimaced. Holding the mirror between his fingers, he looked into the murky, reflective surface and felt the urge to throw it against the wall. He could just make out the scarring around his cheeks in his distorted reflection.

"Sirius Black," he announced, wondering if anything would happen.

After waiting for a full minute, he started to put the mirror away when the reflective surface changed and morphed into the face of Sirius Black. The dark-haired, late thirty's adult grinned like a cadet who stole extra rations before bed. Black's smile stretched from ear to ear as he waved.

"Harry!" he said with palpable warmth and pleasure in his voice. "I was wondering if you chucked the mirror away. Your dad used to threaten to do that when I bothered him while he was with Lily." Sirius wore smart, dusky robes with a silver pocket-handkerchief poking out of his breast pocket. His face, lively and rosy-cheeked, seemed to light up as he sat forward in his chair. The refined kitchen around Sirius faded in and out as a silvery mist shrouded the wizard's frame.

Harry winced and wondered if he'd made a mistake. "Hey, just wanted to see if it worked," he said, knowing his voice sounded a little flat. He wasn't sure why he'd decided to contact Sirius but, now that he had, the magic that made the mirror work captivated him. "Does this mirror work like a Projection Charm?"

Black's grin seemed to deepen as he nodded. "Yes, along with a few other spells. It isn't too complicated, but the way the charms work together is a little complex. Your dad was a deft hand at Transfiguration, but Remus managed to recreate the mirrors in our seventh year. We used them to keep an eye on a few Slytherins we were having trouble with," he boasted with a wink. "Caught old Wells with his pants down once... not a pleasant memory," he admitted with a grimace. With a shake of his head, his eyes came alive again. "Now, have you given any thought to what I offered? I know magic means more to you than the others realize. Independence."

Harry felt a shiver of surprise run through him as he gazed down at Sirius' knowing smile. "I want to be a legal adult more than anything," he admitted after a moment.

Black nodded as his smile seeming to turn inward. "Your dad's parents took me in when I ran away from home. For the longest time, I wanted nothing more than to be an adult. To be free. To make my own decisions and not be told what to do, when to do it, or who to do it for. I told you how close my family was to being Death Eaters without swearing to Voldemort, but it was more than that. They weren't good people, Harry. Anyway, after I got taken in, and James became more than just a friend, a brother, I realized it was up to me to make my own happiness. Do what makes you feel happy. I couldn't have been prouder of you when I heard you went against the Ministry's ridiculous rules about mentors," he said with a nod.

"I won't get all preachy on you, because I hated it when Fleamont did it to me, but do what you think is best and let me handle the consequences. You're a good lad, Harry. Everyone I've spoken to says so. I'm not your godfather on a piece of parchment. I am here in spirit, support, and responsibility. I trust you to make the right choices, and we'll talk about the things we disagree on if they come up. It's what Fleamont and Euphemia did for me when I moved in with James. I won't be like my parents and tell you what to do."

Harry leaned back into the pillows and mulled over what Sirius said. The older wizard seemed content to wait to see what, if anything, Harry had to say. After a minute passed, Harry sat forward again. "What I want most is the ability to focus on projects that I want to do and not worry about being disturbed."

Sirius nodded his head and stroked the tip of his mustache with two fingers. "Harry, why do you want to learn magic? Outside of 'magic cool'," he asked with a penetrating stare.

"I want to be able to take care of myself when I graduate and can use magic freely."

"What will you do then? Do you have a job or goal you'd like to do when you're an adult?"

Harry sat back and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm good at Potioneering and like Curse Breaking," he admitted after a moment. "I'm not sure what I want to do. I just want to know all the magic I can. Instructor Elliot, my Physical Education instructor at Providence, always said it was better to be over-prepared than realize you're lacking when you need it most. That... and yes, magic is cool."

Sirius smiled and drummed his fingers on the polished table in front of him. "When it comes to magic, what do you want to learn the most?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Charms and Transfiguration, no question."

"I might be able to get tickets to the Transfiguration Gallery or the Master Charms Hall," Sirius mused, his lips pursed as he stared into the distance. "They were popular when I was graduating. Your father and Remus loved the Transfiguration Gallery. It displayed all sorts of achievements of British wizards throughout history. I found it boring, but James loved going."

Harry blinked and found himself nodding. "I'd love to see it and the Master Charms Hall, whatever that is," he said after a moment."

"That one, I loved. I met a sweet bird there," Sirius mused with a boyish grin. "Ah, right," he muttered as he glanced at Harry. "Anyway, in my humble opinion, the Charms Hall is worth every Galleon. You can step into a room and find yourself in the middle of a desert... or underwater. Another step and you're looking down at Earth from somewhere in space, just floating along. Yet another room will make your steps glow, and your farts come out as rainbows."

"Really," Harry said in a flat voice. He snorted when Sirius winked at him. "To be able to cast even one of those Charms would be amazing."

"I felt the same way. Of course, if you wanted more experience with Defense Against the Dark Arts, all you'd have to do is go to my parent's old home. It's become twisted and... wrong, somehow."

"What do you mean?"

Sirius' smile faded as he rubbed his chin. "I can't put my finger on it. I know you don't know a whole lot about the Dark Arts, but it corrupts reality around it. Oh, the Ministry will say that's a bad thing, and it can be if left unchecked, but it is the only known magic that changes the world around it long after the spell dissipates. In the case of my parent's place, it's like something Dark has taken up residence. Granted, it could just be my mother's ghost. She was a Dark Art of her own, even while she was alive," he confided with a bark of a laugh.

"I've been told to stay away from learning more about the Dark Arts, even to defend myself, until I master meditation and possibly Occlumancy," Harry admitted with a grimace. While he wasn't interested in casting dark spells, some of the old texts Astoria and Daphne Greengrass copied for him touched on subjects he'd never read in a book from Hogwarts.

"A good plan. Harry, you've been through more in your life than many grown witches and wizards have had to deal with. The Dark Arts will draw that out of you. Its strength comes from strong emotion and the worse your mental burdens, the easier the magic can corrupt you. Dark Magic doesn't just warp reality around it but the casters who use it. Voldemort probably wasn't an amazing bloke when he was in Hogwarts, but I'll bet my best hat the Dark Arts fed off his ambitions, insecurities, and anything dark hidden in his heart. An Auror got sent to Azkaban because he delved too deeply into the subject, even when he had pure intentions. He wanted to learn how to counter the dark wizards he was facing. His youth and inexperience gave him a false sense of security. He died shortly after arriving in Azkaban. The Dementors... well, you know how they feed."

Harry suppressed a shudder and wondered what the young Auror experienced before he died. He decided to put off learning anything about the Dark Arts until he was ready and had someone to guide him. "I've made some progress on my meditation but Occlumancy is still out of my grasp," he admitted.

"A hard and dangerous branch of magic, but I have faith you'll come to master it. You're like your mother in that way. If she set her mind to something, by Merlin, she'd master it before any of us could," Sirius said with a fierce grin. "She bloody drove James mental trying to keep up so he could impress her."

Harry still struggled to compare the Lily Evans everyone else said she was versus the brief memory of the moments before her death. He grunted when it seemed like Sirius wanted him to say something.

"Speaking of James, why don't you want to play Quidditch? He'd be devastated."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. "It isn't that I don't want to play, it's that I won't prioritize it against my studies. It isn't fair to the others. I know Angelina, Katie, and Alicia would want the best for the team. I'm happy to cheer for the Gryffindor team and play a pick-up game here and there," he answered with a laugh.

"Just like your mother," Sirius bemoaned with a dramatic shake of his head, but the smile on his face didn't fade. "If I got tickets to one of the museums, would you be interested in going in a few days?"

Harry smiled and sat up a little straighter. "I've got to meet Edward and Andromeda Tonks on Friday, then meet with the Grangers on Saturday. However, after that, I should be free," he said as he tried to imagine the wonderous spells he'd see.

"Dromeda's husband, Ted?" Sirius questioned with a frown. "I spoke to her some before... well you know. He seemed like a nice bloke. Absolutely adored, Dromeda. He did some advocating for a small apothecary when we met. The owners were trying to get a Toe-nail Fungus Remover approved by the Ministry. Who knew it you couldn't just use magic to clear it up," he said with a dismissive snort. "What are you meeting them for?"

"I'd like to see if Edward would be willing to let Hermione apprentice under him."

Sirius' eyebrows rose as he gave Harry a penetrating stare. "You're doing a lot for the Granger witch. Is something going on there?" he questioned with a smirk. "You're about that age to be interested in birds."

"Who says birds anymore," Harry complained with a laugh. "To me, Hermione is a friend. A sister if you will. I know she wants to go into Magical Law Enforcement and will join that corrupt place. I'm her friend and want the best for her."

Sirius sat back in his chair and stroked his chin. "I can respect that. What about yourself? Are you going to try and find another mentor for the summer?" he questioned with a twinkle in his eye.

"The work Professor McGonagall gave me will keep me busy all summer. I think that was her plan. I just need time and the ability to focus all my attention on the work."

"Let me see what I can do," Sirius mused drummed his fingers on the table. "If I can get tickets, I'll talk to Arthur or Molly about stealing you away for a few hours. Ron is, of course, invited if you want."

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Ron would be interested in a Quidditch museum but probably not anything to do with Transfiguration," he said with a laugh.

"Speaking of which, I think Ireland plays against Peru next week. The match is in Peru, but that's nothing a Portkey or two can't fix. Would you be interested in going?"

"Uh, Sirius, not to pry... but, do you have enough money to do all this? I know you said you just got a flat in London, and well, you just got out of Azkaban."

Sirius barked a laugh and smirked before saying, "Fleamont and James made sure I would be set for a long time after I was disowned by the Black Family. Somehow Bella got the lion's share of the Black wealth. She's probably the richest witch in all of Britain after she married Rodolphus and gained access to the Lestrange wealth too.

I'm fine, Harry. I'm not the richest bachelor in Britain, but I'll be fine if I never work again. Now, about those tickets. Would you be interested in seeing a professional game? How about the World Cup? Those tickets I know I can get for a steal. An old friend of ours, Dung, still has connections. I don't know how he hasn't been jinxed into a puddle for all the shady stuff he's done."

Harry fought back a grin. "Mr. Weasley has a lot to say about Mundungus Fletcher, if that's who you're talking about. He's given the Ministry more than a few headaches within the last year or so," he confided as his grin widened.

"Dung mentioned that. He's got a nose for staying one step ahead of his own demise. I think I hear Molly's voice. So, are you good for at least the World Cup tickets, no matter who plays this year?"

"Yes, I'd love to see it," Harry answered after a moment. Sirius grinned at him and moved his hand toward Harry as if he was going to touch the mirror. "Thank you, for talking to me," Harry said after a moment.

Sirius froze, his smile slipping from his face. "Harry, I'm here for you any time of the day. I made a mistake once, and it cost you far more than it did me. You might not think so, but because I didn't do what James wanted, you've lost your childhood. Your time with the Dursleys and eventually Providence," he said with a twisted expression," isn't what Lily wanted for you; nor what I would have allowed to have happen. I want you to be happy, Harry, and if you allow me, I'll help you do whatever you want with your life," he promised with a nod. "Say my name into this any time and I'll come for you."

Sirius' finger blocked out the mirror as the silvery mist, hovering around the borders of the frame, rushed in to obscure the distorted glass. Harry stared at the mirror, lost for words. Mrs. Weasley called his name again, this time closer to the door. "Harry?" her muffled voice said as the handle rattled.

"Come in," he called back and slid the mirror under the sheets. "I was just reading."

Mrs. Weasley opened the door and peered in at him. She gave him a warm smile. "Arthur just let me know that he booked a reservation for Friday afternoon down at Taddy-Foot's Tea and Ale Shop. Were you talking to someone?" she questioned as she looked to Hedwig asleep in her cage.

Having no reason to lie, he nodded. "Yes, Sirius. I had a question, and he wanted to see if I would be interested in going to a Master Charms Museum or the Transfiguration Museum sometime. He said if he could get tickets he would talk to you or Mr. Weasley," he answered as he watched her face closely. He knew Mrs. Weasley didn't like Sirius, but he didn't know the reason why.

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips but didn't comment. She nodded and smiled at him. "We're having Shepards Pie tonight. Does a dessert of Treakle Tart work for you?" she asked as she started to close the door.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of her reaction but wasn't about to turn down his favorite treat. "Yes, please," he replied with a smile.

In a stroke of genius, Harry decided to let Ginny borrow his broom one morning and told Ron he needed to get a hard problem done. Ron wasn't happy but soon found out Ginny had Harry's Nimbus 2001. For three days, the two of them battled for dominance of the Quaffle in the orchard. Harry heard the twins had to break up a heated argument that almost came to blows between the siblings. No one wanted Mrs. Weasley to take away broom privileges.

Mr. Weasley and Percy had a row on Thursday night after Arthur got home from the Ministry. Percy had gone out with two of Minister Fudge's cronies and said a few things about his father he shouldn't have. Mr. Weasely's nightly recap of his day and the goings-on in the Ministry was frowned upon by the senior members. Amelia Bones pulled Arthur into her office and explain what was going on.

"Molly, I have good news," Arthur announced after Percy stormed off. Mrs. Weasley gave him a tight-lipped smile, but her eyes told him to continue. With a small cough, Mr. Weasley straightened his back. "Dear, I got a promotion. The, uh, issue from last Christmas," he said with a glance at Ron," has officially been investigated. Madam Bones informed me that several senior staff tendered their resignation papers yesterday. Percy met with two of them in Diagon Alley, and I don't think he realizes it," he finished with a grimace.

Mrs. Weasley blinked, her spoon frozen in front of her open mouth. "You... got a promotion?" she asked in a voice, just above a whisper. "But you love the Muggle Artefacts Office."

"I do and still do. I was moved to the Detection of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects office by Madam Bones this morning." He turned to Harry and the twins with a smile. "The three of you made it possible. I looked into your suggestions you all had the other night while it was slow in the office. Imagine my surprise when your idea worked, George. We enchanted a pair of reading spectacles with the See Enchantment Charm. I hear, Harry, it was you who put them onto the spell."

Harry grimaced and shook his head. "Professor Lupin is the one that showed it to me. Actually, I think Bill showed it to all of us when we were in Egypt. It was while he was deciphering the curses on the goblet his friend enchanted for him," he said with a shrug.

"Either way, thank you all for your ideas and work. Using this surprisingly complicated charm, I was able to get to the bottom of a string of Muggle-baiting by using the spectacles. Madam Bones was impressed and pushed my name up the proverbial ladder. Accompanied with the bungled issue around Christmas, they decided to promote me," Mr. Wesley said as he beamed around the room.

A round of congratulations went around the room as Arthur preened under the attention. Harry was happy for the Weasley family. He knew any promotion would come with a pay increase, something they could use. Fred and George pulled him aside before everyone went to bed.

"We just had a thought," Fred said in a low voice as he looked over his shoulder at his mother.

"We could enchant everyday objects to Wizard-bait people we didn't like," George finished with a grin.

"No... well, we could, but we discussed enchanting objects to do things like rebound spells, blind your enemies, or give you clean air to breathe while Percy is on the toilet," Fred said with a sour look at his twin. George grinned at him but didn't say anything.

"It shouldn't be too hard to accomplish," Harry mused and glanced at Mr. Weasley watching them from his chair. "We'll talk about this more, later," he ordered and waved to Mr. Weasley before heading upstairs to bed.

On Friday afternoon, Mr. Weasley appeared on the lawn with a loud crack. Harry was waiting for him, dressed in his best gray and navy robes to meet Edward Tonks. Arthur extended his arm and smiled. "We'll go by Sidelong Apparition. I got the Ministry's approval," he announced, his chest puffing out.

"Thank you for taking me, Mr. Weasley," Harry said and stepped up to the middle-aged wizard. He rested his hand on Arthur's proffered arm.

"Think nothing of it. I see Molly tried to tame your wild hair," he remarked with a smile.

Before Harry could answer, he felt like he was being pressed through a small tube somewhere behind his navel. The pain wasn't as intense as he remembered it, and a moment later, he stood, swaying, in the sunlight of Diagon Alley's main street. The sheer volume of noise around him made him wince. There were witches and wizards everywhere. Some were talking, others shouting to vendors in their stalls along the street, while still others exclaimed over their new purchases. A loud bang from a few feet away made Harry jump as a firework shot off into the air and exploded overhead.

"Brilliant! What will they think of next," the wizard bellowed as he wiped soot from his face.

"Firebolts! Firebolts! New stock of Firebolts arrived today. Get yours before this lot sells out," a reedy witch yelled as she threaded her way through the crowd. "The teams for the Quidditch World Cup will be using Firebolts. Get yours now before they sell out!"

"Get your Ireland Is King ribbons," a wizard bellowed into the crowd as several banners floated over his head, all depicting a leprechaun flying a broomstick.

"Everyone is excited for Ireland. They just have to beat Peru," Mr. Weasley confided as they pressed through the crowd.

Harry still wondered at the displays of magic across the opulent street. Large, gilded wood and stone buildings with many windows butted up to each other along the street. Each shop had a sign, some plain while others were garish, to invite potential customers into the building. Bright decorations of green four-leaf clovers hung between the lamp posts overhead.

"The little restaurant is up here on the right," Mr. Weasley said as they moved around a large group of foreign wizards huddled together. The olive-skinned man in the middle held a silver-streaked blue cat-like animal with a long, bushy tail under his arm. The silver in the animal's fur seemed to glow with an internal light. Harry had never seen the creature before in any of the books he'd read.

Taddy-Foot's Tea and Ale Shop, its mahogany, timber-framed design standing out from the traditional European medieval-style buildings beside it. Several wizards with long, waxed beards exited the building with smiles, and one stumbled along behind the others. Mr. Weasley led the way with a strange expression.

Harry noticed the unfamiliar runic script along the far wall as soon as he entered behind Arthur, and his eyes adjusted to the low light compared to the bright sun outside. Several patrons sat along a long, polished bar with intricately carved Vikings fighting each other along the front. Bright-eyed, smiling waitresses in low-cut bodices flitted around the numerous tables and serving food with professional competence.

"Ah, don't mention this to Molly," Mr. Weasley pleaded a moment later with a quiet cough. "This place was recommended by a friend of mine at the office. I really should have come myself," he admitted with a grimace.

"I think that's Edward and Andromeda over there," Harry announced with a glance at Mr. Weasley. The older wizard seemed to be looking anywhere other than the pretty blonde waitress approaching them.

"Hello, fine sirs'," she greeted with a dazzling smile and a curtsey. Her deep blue ropes accentuated her every curve. Harry gulped and found himself at a loss for words as she turned her lamp-like smile toward him.

"We're here to meet Edward and Andromeda Tonks," Mr. Weasley got out with a cough.

The waitress' smile widened as she nodded. "Weasley, party of four," she recited. "They've only just arrived. I'll take you to the table."

Harry followed along behind Mr. Weasley as they threaded their way to the table he'd spotted before. He and Mr. Weasley got a few strange looks, but none of the other patrons commented or spared them a second glance.

Edward Tonks, a fair-haired, big-bellied man in deep maroon robes, rose as they approached. "Arthur Weasley... and Harry Potter," he greeted with a bright smile as his eyes flicked between the two newcomers. The waitress gave a small start and rounded on Harry, her eyes widening. She started to say something, but she stopped and straightened her shoulders. Her smile seemed a little brighter when she turned back to Mr. Weasley.

"If either of you needs anything, my name is Rosie. Just wave for me, and I'll come running," she instructed and moved away from the table.

"Edward," Mr. Weasley greeted as he stepped up to the first empty chair around the circular table.

"Nonsense, call me Ted. My father called me Edward. This is Andromeda, or Dromeda if you prefer," he introduced and gestured to his wife.

Harry got a good look at the striking witch. She had high cheekbones, long, light brown hair, soft, wide eyes, and a smile that seemed like she was on the verge of speaking. Her eyes flicked over his attire as she seemed to assess him before speaking. "Hello, Mr. Potter," she greeted and daintily rose, extending her long, slender fingers toward him.

Harry took her hand as if he was handing Petunia's finest dishware. The witch before him was one of the most beautiful, mature women he'd ever encountered. With a gentle, but firm, shake of her soft hand, he said, "Just Harry, if you don't mind. Mr. Potter was my father." He watched her eyes as he said it and was surprised to see genuine sorrow reflected back at him. Andromeda's facial features and mouth never changed, but her eyes seemed to speak for her. He wondered how she managed to convey so much emotion.

"I knew little of James Potter... but Lily and I wrote once or twice. You have your mother's eyes. We met through Sirius one afternoon, shortly before they retreated from the wizarding world," the older witch said in a soft voice.

"Come, sit," Ted encouraged as he gestured to the two open chairs. "Harry, I believe we have some conversing to do," he said with a warm, jovial laugh.

After everyone took their seats, Mr. Weasley shifted uncomfortably. "I apologize for the... uh... choice of meeting place. Everything I'd been told said this was a wonderful establishment," he apologized as he spotted another young server, her low-cut robes displaying much of her assets.

Andromeda shot him a smile while Ted laughed and slapped his knee. "We're open-minded individuals. It just so happens that we frequent here a lot. The food is wonderful. Scandinavian cuisine. I had a great uncle or something like that on my father's side that passed down a Kottbullar recipe. My grandmother fixed it every Christmas. Taddy-Foot's has one of the best meatball recipes in Great Britain," he announced with a far-away look in his eyes.

"The Lingenberry Jam here will delight your tastebuds," Andromeda commented with a smile. "Please, look over the menu. We'll have plenty of time to talk."

Harry felt a little lost as he looked over the extensive menu. Most of the dishes were made with fish, which he wasn't a huge fan of, so he went with what Ted suggested. Mr. Weasley chose a salmon dish with a smile.

After sipping a rich tea with a minty aftertaste, Harry sat forward in his chair and looked at Ted. The older wizard seemed to understand he wanted to talk. "You said in your letter that you were interested in making a few Galleons," he said and put down his cup. "But, you also mentioned you had reservations. May I know what they are?"

Ted and Andromeda exchanged looks. An entire conversation seemed to pass between them in the few seconds they locked eyes. After Andromeda nodded, Ted turned back to Harry with a raised eyebrow. "I've got something like twenty years of experience of Advocating in the wizarding world. My father, rest his soul, was a lawyer, just as his father was. It runs in the family, you see. When they found out I was a wizard, well, things became a little strained. That was until my father found out the wizarding world had lawyers, of a sort," Ted remarked with a dark chuckle.

"It's probably a good thing my family didn't like Teddy or his family," Andromeda remarked with a musical laugh. "By now, they'd have the entire wizarding world in a mire of lawyering sharks, taking what they want through carefully worded contracts and lies. My family was old and pompous to anyone not Pure-blooded enough to be seen by their greatness or bow before their collective might. My mother was even worse," she confided while rolling her eyes.

"My family was very similar. They prided themselves on being in the elite social circles and wouldn't give the Blacks the time of day after the first meeting. Wizards or no, they had nothing to offer my father, so he ignored their existence. The entire world is probably better off. We've rambled on a bit, but there is a reason for that. You see, in my youth, I was headstrong and a prat of the highest caliber," Ted admitted with a wry grin. Andromeda shot him a warm smile and a wink. "You see, I had everything in life before coming to Hogwarts, to the wizarding world. Imagine my surprise when I was behind the curve, and my father angered the Goblins of Gringotts when they first met. I still believe we are lucky to have left the place alive.

That disastrous meeting marked the start of my change into becoming someone better. The Goblins ensured we got the worst exchanges and made my father wait until the last second to get the Galleons we needed for the basic supplies for my first term. It got worse when they mysteriously misplaced the paperwork to pay Hogwarts' tuition fees. Simple clerical errors they claimed. In the long run, they were minor annoyances for my father, except for the Pound Sterling to Galleons exchange rate. He remained determined to negotiate them down, to our detriment every time. My father saw the goblins as uncultured swine, easy to manipulate, and swindle.

While my father and mother bemoaned the money they had to pay for me to go to a private school, they still paid. However, I, through my own actions, suffered the most. Muggle-borns aren't as well-liked as Half-bloods. By some divine sense of amusement, I talked the Sorting Hat into sorting me into Slytherin, because I saw that was where the money, wealth, and power was. The Sorting Hat warned me, but I ignored it, young and confident of my upbringing. The experience as a Muggle-born in a Pure-blood run house was humbling from the first day."

Andromeda smiled and looked at her husband. "I gave him such a hard time," she admitted with a silvery laugh. "I bullied him into going to a Christmas dance with me in our second year. My parents had required me to pick someone of high-breeding so, to spite them, I chose Teddy. It turned out to be the best decision of my life."

"I know you don't care about our history, Harry, but there is a reason why I'm telling you this. From the Daily Prophet, we weren't sure what to expect from you. Are you a genius? Were you unstable as the papers seemed to hint at? Were you a loose cannon, ready to be the next Dark Lord of our age? Until you came in, we didn't know who's insight into the true Harry Potter was correct," Ted said, his smile fading as he stared Harry in the eyes. "It's your eyes, you see. We both know the darkness hidden behind someone's smile. The eyes tell the truth. We could be wrong, but I, for one, don't think so."

Harry sat back in his chair and frowned at the couple. "I could still be all those things," he remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think not," Andromeda commented and pointed a slender finger at him. "My daughter, for one, had a lot to say about you. She's got a nose, when she wants to use it, for finding good people from the bad ones. It was she who encouraged us to speak to you," she admitted.

"Why don't you tell us what you need? Please understand, I'm currently unemployed, but it won't stay that way for long. I have a family to provide for, and I've taken this... opportunity to enjoy some time with my wife while our daughter is away."

Harry nodded and marshaled his thoughts. "My, and by extension, my friend's magical education is of the utmost importance to me. Hermione Granger is the true genius between the two of us. Her greatest ambition and desire is to join the Ministry of Magic, as a Muggle-born, to change the way the wizarding world treats those they deem lesser. Muggle-borns, House Elves, Centaurs, Goblins, and various other magical creatures. It was all she studied in what limited spare time we had at the end of last term," he stated and tapped his finger on the table.

"I would like you to take her as an apprentice of sorts over the summer. She says she's isn't willing, and you might overcharge me, but I know she'll see reason. Her parents will be another factor that I don't have an answer for until tomorrow. I owe Hermione a lot for messing up our Advanced Course work last term. Hiring Master Ogata seemed like a minor thing, but it caused a lot of trouble."

Andromeda folded her hands in her lap and stared at Harry. "You're doing this for your friend?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Harry thought she looked like a queen staring down her subject. He shifted in his chair. "I know it sounds weird, but yes. I owe her a lot, and she is my friend. We've come so far together, and she deserves the best money can buy. Instructor Kennedy always talked about how important it was to hire experts in a given field while doing research. He always said the best intelligence is the one you pay for because you'll appreciate it more. Are you willing to show her what you do and teach her how to thrive in the Ministry as a Muggle-born?" he asked as he shifted his eyes away from the imperious witch's face and over to Ted's kindly eyes. The middle-aged wizard smirked at him.