The Calm Before the Storm

June 16th

Quatre kept his face stoic as he strode through the mass of reporters, spectators, and photographers lying in wait outside the courtroom. Trowa stood at his back, radiating threat to keep the vultures away, while Lucius walked at Quatre's side, equally stoic. Sirius in dog form trotted along between them, his tail and ears cast low; a soft growl resonated within his chest. To anyone else, it looked as if the large dog was about to attack, but Quatre knew it was a part of stage two of their plan.

Once freed of the Ministry wards and the crowd, they Apparated to Diagon Alley, and not fifteen minutes after the Wizengamot's verdict, they entered the luxurious Malfoy law offices. Lucius quietly offered Quatre a seat and a drink, which Quatre accepted. Sirius, now returned to human form, paced the confines of the room with a snarl twisting his features. Both blonds tactfully ignored the furious ex-con.

Ensconced safely behind his desk, Lucius raised his glass. "I'm afraid that the judicial system can only take you so far, Mr. Winner. It does not matter guilt or innocence. Those in power will never be held accountable, not within the system the way it stands now. As I advised you before we took on this task, Dumbledore is hailed a leader of the Light. With the return of You-Know-Who, the Wizengamot will not turn against him. Even if that means turning their backs on justice."

Quatre inclined his head. "I appreciate all your efforts, Mr. Malfoy. I knew defeat was a possible outcome from the beginning, and even though we lost the trial, I take comfort from the fact that we instilled doubt in the populace. I have hope that our efforts will at least spur the populace into independent thought."

Lucius smiled a snake's smile. "One can hope."

"Enough!" Sirius turned and stalked up to the desk, slamming his hands violently down. "I want Dumbledore to pay! He owes me eleven years of hell!"

Quatre drained his glass and stood before Lucius could respond. "This is where I take my leave, gentleman." He bowed toward Sirius. "I believe our business here is concluded, Mr. Black." Turning to Lucius, he offered his hand. "I look forward to working with you again, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius stood and gave Quatre's hand a firm shake. "And I as well, Mr. Winner."

Quatre took his leave without looking back, Trowa falling into step behind him. The original plan had been for Quatre to use either their defeat or victory to enter into Lucius' confidence and engineer an invitation into Malfoy's circles. Sirius, however, insisted that he stood a higher chance of actually succeeding at infiltrating the Dark. Quatre was unknown and would thus be distrusted no matter how well he manipulated Lucius. Sirius, on the other hand, was a Black and he had a believable cover story. Quatre just hoped Sirius knew what he was doing in taking his place among the Death Eaters.

xXxXxXx

Harry was working in the kitchen. His fingers were stained with ink and the whole of the table in front of him was filled with essays from every subject. Books were stacked on the floor, some lay open on top of the parchments. It was a mess, which was why he usually worked in the library. But today was special. Today Quatre predicted the Wizengamot would announce their verdict. After a month of preparation and three days spent in the courtroom, Harry could hardly wait to hear the end result, and as soon as the front door begin to creak open on its rusty hinges, he leapt to his feet to meet his brother.

Remus and Duo also came to meet the blond, hurrying out from the sitting room. It was obvious that they had been training. Remus' hair was in disarray and his lip was bloody. His t-shirt looked stretched as if it had been repeatedly yanked at and wrinkled. Duo, in contrasted, looked as if he'd been engaged in a light exercise routine. His braid was wrapped in a tight bun on top of his head, undisturbed, and his violet eyes were bright with energy and spirit.

"We lost," Quatre informed them softly. "We did not have enough evidence connecting the attackers to the Order or Dumbledore. Sirius stayed behind with Lucius. I'd say he has a very high chance of convincing Lucius he is sincere in his wish to join the Death Eaters."

Harry came forward and hugged Quatre hard around the waist. "You did your best."

"Thank you, Harry." The regal blond smiled and stroked a hand over Harry's braided hair. "I'm just glad it's over. I will have more time to dedicate to my own magical education."

Remus groaned. Harry was an extremely demanding student. He could only imagine that Quatre would be worse.

"How'd Dumbledore take it?" Duo wanted to know.

"He suspected this outcome from the beginning," Quatre answered, leading Harry and the group back toward the kitchen. "He welcomes me into the Order and is willing to put the past behind us."

"The verdict has given him back the confidence he'd lost," Trowa added.

Duo grinned maniacally. "Well, I'm going to love putting him back in his place again and again."

"As long as there aren't explosives involved," Harry quipped, making his family laugh and Remus wince.

"Yes. Exploding the Headmaster is definitely not an option," the wizard agreed fervently.

"Says you," Duo returned with a sniff. Before Remus could respond, the young pyromaniac joined his brothers in trying to clean up the table without ruining Harry's hard work.

…

June 24th

Sirius flashed the receptionist a charming smile before continuing into Relena's suite. He had a bunch of magical roses in his arms, and as soon as he caught sight of the petite young woman standing by the table, his smile warmed. "I've missed you," he told her, coming forward and offering the flowers that were charmed to never wilt or lose their scent.

Relena smiled and accepted the gift, though there was something sad in the expression. "They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Sirius laughed and hooked her around her waist, pulling her close for a kiss.

She allowed it for a moment before pulling away. Sirius frowned as she set the flowers on the table and moved to the window. "How is your progress with the Death Eaters coming?"

Now he really was worried. They never talked about that. Maybe it had been stupid of him to think it would remain unspoken. "It's coming along. So far Lucius just lectures me on being patient. The most active thing we've done was to go around to his informants gathering information about the Order."

Relena nodded. "Those papers on the table are for you. Sign them."

Sirius stepped up to the table, a little taken-back by his lover's attitude. "Are you okay, Lena?"

"Just sign them," the young woman responded tiredly. She stood framed by the light spilling in the large window, her back to the room.

Sirius picked up the pile of paper and realized it was a statement of his innocence with a typed report of the events that led up to James and Lily's death. He signed it easily and turned the page to see another statement of innocence, proclaiming his intention of taking the Dark Mark for the sole reason of helping the war effort, that he would not be held accountable for any action taken to that end.

"Lena…" he said gently.

"Just sign the damn thing." Relena turned, anger in every line of her body.

Sirius obeyed. He set the stack back on the table and waited.

"I'm so sick of war! And I'm so sick of heroes!" she nearly snarled. Her blue eyes were bright and pinned to Sirius. "You've suffered so much. Why must you be the one to do it?"

"Because I have the highest chance of success." Sirius gave a shrug with a wry smile. "Any other person would be found out because Voldemort can read minds. The Black's are known for mental instability. That goes hand-in-hand with the natural born ability of the Black family to be immune to Legilimency. Not to mention, from their perspective, I have every reason in the world to turn against Dumbledore."

"You could be killed," Relena whispered. "But so could every other soul willing to fight. I could accept that. But this!" She turned her back, facing the window once more. "You will be forced to commit acts that are horrific and cruel. You will have to maim your soul to succeed. That I cannot stand."

Sirius stepped around the table and went to Relena, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight so that the soft swell of her breasts flattened against his chest. "There are ways I can protect my mind. I spent too many years in that hellhole they call a prison. I managed to come out of that, I can do the same of this."

Relena tilted her head back, her dark blonde hair fanned across her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I can't continue this. I can't wait here for you, wondering what part you played in every attack, wondering what shape you'll come home to me in." Tears glistened in her eyes before falling. "I care about you deeply, Sirius. You're funny and gentle, the injustices you've overcome have touched my heart, but this is as far as we go. I'm a pacifist, Sirius. It's a way of life I believe in to the bottom of my heart. I need the man who stands at my side to believe in the same thing. I'm sorry."

Sirius smiled sadly, tears filling his own eyes as he wiped away hers. "I understand. I knew from the beginning you were too good for this old dog."

"Sirius…" she whispered, crying harder. "No…"

"Thank you, Relena," he said with deep sincerity. "You saved me. You healed something in me that had been broken for a long time. I don't think I'll ever forget you or the time we shared." Slowly, making sure it was okay, he bent to kiss her one last time.

Their lips slid together, soft and moist. Emotion sparked and spun through his chest, down his every limb. He held her even tighter, wanting to press into her perfect warmth, feel her surrender in his arms one more time. But then she pulled away. With her hand covering her mouth as if to keep the kiss from flying away, she left him standing by the window alone.

…

July 13th

The second Monday of July came and everyone in Grimmauld Place was on edge. Today was the day Quatre had arranged with Dumbledore for Harry to come to the castle to take his First and Second year exams. It was nerve wracking for all of them because the last time they had seen Hogwarts, Harry had been a prisoner. It was even more stressful for Harry because it would show irrevocably how Harry was progressing so far in his studies.

There was only a month and a half before school started. Today would show if he would make the deadline and attend Hogwarts with his peers. If he didn't do well, he'd have to retake the tests again the week before the start of school, and the staff would decide his year placement. If he did well, he'd arrive at the school a day early to take his Third year exams. Only if he passed those, would he begin his Fourth year with the other students his age.

It was barely six in the morning. The sky was a soft pale grey, not yet blue. Harry stood between Quatre and Trowa with Remus a little bit behind them. It was decided that Heero, Duo, and Wufei would be used as wild cards if needed in the future, and so they had to remain behind. Sirius, since he was not yet cleared of the charges laid against him, would of course not attend. Not to mention going to Hogwarts with Harry Potter wouldn't help his efforts in joining the Death Eaters.

"Are you ready?" Quatre asked, looking down at Harry.

Feeling like a child but unable to help himself, he slipped his hand inside of Trowa's. It made him feel a hundred times safer and he was able to give his older brother a firm nod. "I'm ready."

Quatre smiled reassuringly and turned his attention to Remus. The wizard got a firm grip on the shoulders of both men. Trowa pulled Harry tight to his chest and carried the teen along with him as Remus Apparated all of them to Hogsmeade.

"Ah! Here they are!" Almost before they got their bearings, a jovial Headmaster strode up to them. "What a fine summer morning it is and a pleasure to see you all once more." Dumbledore was wearing sky blue and lavender robes, his long white hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck and the equally long beard held together with tasseled twine.

Harry blanked his expression the way Heero had taught him and stared up at the man who had ripped him from his family.

Dumbledore's smile didn't waver. "Hello, Harry. I hope to convince you that you are safe and welcome here at Hogwarts."

"Thank you for having your Professors take time out of their vacation to attend Harry's tests," Quatre spoke up, bringing the Headmaster's attention away from Harry. "We are very appreciative."

"Of course! Of course! It is only right for Harry to be offered the same chances as his peers." Dumbledore gestured toward the carriage waiting at the road side. "I've arranged transport. Follow me, gentlemen."

"What are those?" Harry whispered toward Remus as Quatre and Dumbledore stepped out of earshot.

Remus stared down at Harry in surprise that morphed quickly into a deep sorrow. "They are Thestrals, Harry. Only those who have witnessed someone die can see them."

Harry held tighter to Trowa's hand. "Oh," he said very quietly. "I don't suppose many students can see them."

"Most of the students believe the carriages pull themselves, powered by Charms, I'm sure," Remus agreed. "But you are not the only child who can see them."

Their conversation was cut short before Harry could ask if Remus knew the names of the students who could see the Thestrals. Dumbledore and Quatre were already seated and waiting in the ghostly-horse-drawn carriage. Harry climbed aboard and took the seat farthest from Dumbledore under the excuse he wanted to sit by the window. The view was rather remarkable and Harry was glad he had the opportunity.

The sun had flushed the sky pink and orange, the lake glittered like diamonds, and the castle shimmered with dew making it seem more like a fairy construction than human. It was so beautiful that Harry nearly forgot his fear, forgot the exams that waited for him. He even had a smile for Dumbledore when the old wizard offered him a warm, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry."

Harry was the first out of the carriage and he stood, staring up, up, up at the towers and turrets, the great arching windows and snapping flags. It took his breath away.

"Have you had breakfast, gentlemen?" Dumbledore asked as he lead them through the massive entrance doors, across the foyer with the many moving staircases that stretched up into what seemed infinity, and into the Great Hall.

"Yes," Quatre answered at last. "We've already eaten."

"Well, the house elves will be disappointed for certain. We'll just have to go all out for lunch and dinner, shall we?" Dumbledore said with a laugh.

The Great Hall was empty, but Harry could imagine it full to the brim with children from eleven years old to seventeen. The thought didn't fill him with anxiety like he'd expected; instead he felt a little excited. This time when he caught Trowa's hand, he wasn't seeking comfort. He wanted to share a smile with his brother, a smile that Trowa returned with a faint up-turn of his lips.

"Here we are." Dumbledore had brought them to the table that stood on a slightly raised dais and sat perpendicular to the four other long tables filling the room. A very short man who looked vaguely inhuman sat toward the end, reading a newspaper and drinking what smelled suspiciously like hot chocolate. "Professor Flitwick! Good of you to volunteer for the early morning shift. This is Harry Potter and his family, Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton. You know Remus, of course."

"Hello!" the small man squeaked with a friendly smile directed at the group. "It's no trouble at all. We are just glad Mr. Potter can finally join us! Very glad, indeed." The little man turned his focus to Harry alone, eyes twinkling up at the teen. "I'm excited to see your progress, quite frankly. I've heard how new you are to the magical arts, but also that you are an extremely diligent student."

Harry flushed slightly under the praise, but he managed to hold his ground. "Thank you, Professor. I hope I can work my way to the Fourth year level by the end of summer."

"Professor Flitwick is also the Head of Ravenclaw House; the House of the wise and studious. They treasure knowledge for knowledge's sake. He is also the Charms Professor and a world renowned duelist," Dumbledore informed them.

The little man turned a bright red. "Enough of that, Albus. Please."

Dumbledore chuckled and turned to Quatre and Trowa. "Well, it looks like the Professor and Harry are ready to start. Would you like a tour of the school? I'm sure between Remus and I we can make it entertaining."

Quatre gave his most charming smile. "I would just love that, yes! Trowa, however, would like to catch up on his reading. If that would be okay?"

Dumbledore nodded as if he had expected that. "He may sit down at the end of the Slytherin table. That's close enough to keep an eye on Mr. Potter and the Professor, but far enough away that we can avoid accusations of cheating."

Harry puffed up with a glare. As if he would cheat on academics! Wufei had taught him better honor than that.

"Thank you," Trowa voiced, speaking for the first time all morning. He moved down to the table with the green banner hanging above it and took a seat. He was only twenty feet or so away. Harry knew how fast Trowa could react to a situation and was comfortable with that distance, especially if Dumbledore left the room. He was the one Harry was most wary of.

Trowa handed something small to Quatre who very smoothly took out his wand and non-verbally unshrunk the leather-bound tome on magical creatures. It was a calculated display to remind the wizards in the room that Harry was under the protection of a wizard their equal.

"Shall we go then?" Dumbledore asked, not even batting an eye at the magical display.

As the Headmaster, Remus, and Quatre walked from the room talking animatedly about the castle, Professor Flitwick waved his wand in a graceful arch, making a chair move smoothly out from the table. "Have a seat, Mr. Potter. I'll explain the test."

Hesitating for only a second, Harry came around the end of the table and took the seat.

"Do you have a working wand?" the little man asked.

"I do." Harry displayed his holly wand with Phoenix feather.

"Very good." Professor Flitwick returned to the seat one down from Harry, giving the teen room to work, and climbed atop the thick book placed there. "Each end of year exam is scheduled for a maximum of an hour. If you are not finished at that time, you must stop and turn in what you have completed. Often times students finish before time is up, which is perfectly acceptable."

The professor flicked his wand a second time and floated two rolls of parchment and a quill over to the waiting teen. "There are two parts to the exams, a practical demonstration and a written essay. I will now give you the topic of your First and Second year essay. Please be as thorough as you possibly can. I will give you a maximum of one hour to finish both essays. Once you are finished, you may use the restroom before we move on to the First and Second year practical demonstration. Again, I shall give you another hour maximum to complete both."

"I understand. Thank you, Professor," Harry responded politely and took a deep breath. He had a lot of tests to get through. It would be great if he could finish under the time limit.

"Forgive me if I cover anything you already know about essay writing, Mr. Potter," Professor Flitwick said with a friendly smile. "I am used to giving these two exams to eleven and twelve-year-olds who have often never written an essay in their lives."

Harry smiled back, feeling relieved. "You can never have too much information, sir."

Professor Flitwick laughed, high and twittering almost like a bird. "It might be Ravenclaw is in your future, young man." Clearing his voice, the little man continued in a serious tone. "Your essays should be structured into three parts in order to achieve full points, Mr. Potter. The first part should detail the magical theory behind the development and casting of the Charm. Its incantation and pronunciation must also be included. The second part must depict the intended usage of the Charm. Include your personal experience with the spell here, as well as any documented cases you recall. The last part must outline the possible abuses or risks inherent in the Charm."

Harry diligently wrote the simplistic outline using shorthand on the upper left-hand corner of the parchment so he would not forget.

Professor Flitwick smiled at that and tapped the table. A porcelain pitcher of water and a glass appeared within arm's reach of the teen. "Feel free to drink water when you need to, but be careful not to spill."

"Yes, sir." Harry carefully filled his glass, although he didn't take a drink yet.

"Are you ready?" Professor Flitwick asked kindly.

Harry nodded and sat with his quill poised over the parchment. "I am."

"Your first essay topic is the Blue Bells Flame Charm. Your second essay topic is the Freezing Charm. You may begin."

Harry immediately wrote the first Charm on top of one parchment and the other on the second. He worked quickly, focused on his task to the exclusion of all else. Trowa was in the room and would keep an eye on the professor. Harry could let his environment fade completely into the background.

Forty minutes later, Harry's hand had a cramp and he felt completely wrung out. The Blue Bells Flame essay, incantation Lacarnum Inflamarae, was longer in the third part, explaining the risk of the soft flames catching on fire. He had remembered several cases that Remus had covered where that had happened in the Wizarding world and had caused a lot of damage. The Freezing Charm, incantation Immobulus, was longer in the second part, describing how the Charm was used in dueling, as well as being useful to parents with young children.

Harry handed his essays over to the diminutive professor with a smile.

"Very good, Mr. Potter. You finished in good time," Professor Flitwick said with a smile. "Do you need a break?"

"No. I'm ready for the practical," Harry denied.

"If you're sure." Tapping the table once more, a pineapple, a locked box, and a porcelain figuring appeared. "For the practical demonstration, I will ask you to cast a few Charms on my person as well as these items. Let's begin."

Harry nervously fingered his wand before bracing himself and lifting it steady. As ordered, he quickly and to the best of his ability cast the Charms requested of him. Alohmora, Wingardium Leviosa, a softening charm , and the Tickling Charm were successfully cast. When asked to make the pineapple dance, Harry's spell might have been too strong, sending the pineapple tap dancing and waltzing vigorously up and down the table.

After thirty-five minutes, Harry was done and Professor Flitwick was literally jumping up and down and clapping. "Amazing, Mr. Potter! I must say you did very, very well considering you've only begun studying two months ago."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said and happily shook the little man's hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you again for coming and testing me."

"It was a pleasure, Mr. Potter, a real pleasure. Take a ten minute break. Professor Sprout should be here to collect you very soon."

And so on it went. Harry met Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall, writing essays and doing a practical just like with Charms. Harry liked all the professors he had met so far. They were very different from each other, but they were warm and welcoming. Even Professor McGonagall who remained stiff and professional treated him with respect and fairness.

In Herbology, he wrote about benign plants and fungi and worked with Devil's snare and Mandrakes. He also had to demonstrate a fire charm, which was essential when working with many magical plants. Harry felt he did pretty well, but maybe not as well as he had done during the Charms exam.

During the Transfiguration test, Harry was practically sweating bullets and drank nearly two cups of water. He had to write an essay about Switching Spells and the Fera Verto spell, which turned animals into a drinking goblet. The hardest part, of course, was the practical in which he had to Transfigure a mouse into a snuffbox, beetles into buttons, and rabbits into slippers. By the end of the test, Harry was in desperate need of a break and some food.

"Lunch is served!" Dumbledore announced as Harry, Trowa, Quatre and Remus settled in at the Head Table. "Please eat as much as you want."

Harry stared at the table piled high with sandwich makings, pudding, chips, and several vegetable sides in awe. There was no way they could eat all that!

Quatre laughed quietly at Harry's expression and elbowed him gently. "Well, dig in."

Harry set to with abandon. "I'm starving."

"You won't be for much longer," Quatre teased. "Duo would be in heaven."

"It's delicious!" Harry agreed.

"Thank you, Harry. The elves have truly outdone themselves," Dumbledore said happily, working on filling his own plate.

"How many elves do you have?" Harry asked curiously. He was thinking of Kreatcher who he only rarely caught a glimpse of. The elf was more disturbing than anything else, and he couldn't imagine him cooking anything this delicious.

"Oh, a few dozen." Dumbledore tucked his long beard over his shoulder out of the way and took a bite of potatoes. He sighed in apparent bliss. "Magnificent creatures. They are too often overlooked."

Harry considered that as he chewed.

"How has your morning been?" Quatre asked.

"I think I did well, but I struggled during the Transfiguration exam. My snuffbox still had whiskers, and I won't even tell you what happened to my rabbit slippers!"

Remus patted his pupil on the back. "You are doing really well, Harry, considering how long you've been studying."

"So everybody says," Harry replied glumly and took a big bite to stave off further questions.

Instead, Quatre filled the air with polite conversation about all the things he had seen during his tour, and lunch finished quickly due to his and Dumbledore's efforts. Feeling full and refreshed, the group was guided down into the dungeons for the Potions exam. Upon seeing the room and the teacher, Quatre decided to stay with Trowa and attend the test. Remus and Dumbledore left, promising to pick the three of them up once the exam was done.

The room was gloomy, smelled funny, and put Harry on edge. He vividly remembered the Death Eater scroll the man had given him, as well as being attacked in the forest and what Snape had done to his brothers' memories. Harry shivered every time those black soulless eyes landed on him. He was very, very glad Quatre and Trowa had elected to stay behind. He wanted to avoid being alone with the man at all cost.

"You don't get points for effort here, Mr. Potter," Snape said almost threateningly, voice dark and low. "There will be no essay writing. You either succeed at Potions… Or fail, with the potential of killing someone with your mistake. From memory, you will brew two potions, the Forgetfulness Potion and the Swelling Potion. You have two hours. Begin!"

Harry remained stoic, holding tightly to the image of Heero. Brother Heero bowed to no one. Not even death made Heero blink. Straight-backed, refusing to seek assistance from Quatre and Trowa, Harry went to the only cabinet in the room, guessing that was where he'd get his ingredients. It was too dark to really see the labels, so Harry cast a soft Lumos.

"Wand away, Mr. Potter!" Snape snarled from a mere foot behind Harry.

The teen spun, eyes wide, even though he was careful not to let his surprise show on his face.

Towering over the boy, Snape glared hotly. "Spells leave the environment charged with latent energy. You are never to use a wand in my classroom unless I specifically tell you otherwise. If I see it again, I will confiscate it for the rest of the year!"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered monotone, his heart hammering in his chest.

The torches on the walls that were burning low and dim suddenly began to strengthen. Light spread and soon the room was almost as bright as any other classroom. Professor Snape spun and stared at the two men still standing by the door.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" Snape asked, tone cold and menacing.

Quatre smiled charmingly. "No. Why? We're perfectly fine. Do continue." He gave a little wave that drew attention to the fact he did not hold a wand in either hand.

Snape scowled, but he did not adjust the torches. Harry quickly gathered what he needed and hurried to a station halfway between his brothers and the front of the room. He knew the potions pretty well. It was just the environment that was rattling him. Taking a deep breath, drawing upon his safety image to clear and center his mind, he began.

Professor Snape stalked around the room. Mostly he remained silent, but sometimes he would begin muttering incomprehensibly under his breath in such a way as to make Harry think he was making a mistake. Harry tried to ignore it as best as possible and tried not to think about attending Potions with Snape without his brothers present. Had the man ever walked directly behind Harry, he would have made a mistake. Between Trowa's menacing, flat-eyed stare and Quatre's dangerous smile Snape never did walk directly between Harry and his brothers. But in the end, Harry persevered. He brewed the two potions successfully, if not absolutely perfect.

Quatre nearly jumped Dumbledore when he arrived to take them to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class room. Remus was waiting for them there. As the last DADA professor, and since Dumbledore had not yet arranged for a new Defense professor, it fell to Remus to give the test. Quatre hurried Dumbledore out of the room, undoubtedly to talk about Snape's behavior toward Harry.

Smirking, Harry approached his teacher. "Hello, Remus."

Smiling ruefully, Remus asked, "Potions not go well?"

"It went okay. I would have done better if Snape wasn't such a…"

"Harry," Trowa interrupted.

Harry stared up into Trowa's deep green eye. "I know. I'm sorry." He turned back to Remus. "I will tell you my more personal interpretation when we are home. As for now, let's just say I could have done better, but I think I did okay in the end."

"Good." Remus then gestured Harry into a desk. "You have an essay to write and then we'll get to the practical. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said cheerfully. Anything was better than Potions, and Defense and Charms were his best subjects.

That was before he learned the essay. He had to write about the Curse of the Bogies for one and list first-aid actions for victims of humanoid magical creature attacks, such as werewolves, vampires, goblins, and trolls. It was tedious, but Harry finished in record time. Then they moved on to a minor duel utilizing First through Second year spells, such as the Knockback Jinx, Expelliarmus, Full Body Binds, and the Leg-Locker Curse. Of course, Harry didn't let it stay that simple and utilized every Charm and trick he knew, giving Remus a real run for his money.

"Enough. Time's up," Remus called. Harry grinned, taking real pride in the fact that his teacher was slightly out of breath. "I think it's safe to say I have a full grasp of your mastery of this subject up to date."

"You sure? I could demonstrate my spell work some more," Harry offered sweetly.

"I think Remus needs a bit of a break from your youthful vigor, Harry," Dumbledore said, laughing.

Harry turned and nodded to the old man. He'd noticed when the Headmaster and Quatre had returned nearly ten minutes ago, of course, but he'd chosen to ignore his presence until Dumbledore addressed him.

"I will have Remus place his memories of the exam into a Pensieve for me to look over. Just to be sure there is no bias in the grading; I will be the one determining the final score."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said politely. Secretly, he was getting tired of the continual accusations of cheating. He was not worried in the slightest. He knew he had performed well on the Defense exam, graded by Remus or not.

"Come, my boy. Let's get the History exams out of the way, shall we?" Dumbledore said with a cheerful smile. "I've heard nothing but amazing things from the professors regarding your abilities. I'm sure this will be no challenge for a student of your caliber."

The back and forth between cheating to heavy praise was annoying, but more than that, Harry was honestly considering the percentage of Dumbledore being Bi-Polar. Harry met Trowa's eyes and knew that his brother understood his thought and was entertaining the same notion. Smirking, Harry followed the Headmaster into yet another classroom.

"Once you are done here, my boy, we'll head down to dinner. Then you can take the Astronomy exam and head home to your bed. I'm sure you are exhausted. It's been a very eventful day," Dumbledore said kindly. He settled behind the teacher's desk and gestured to a stack of parchments.

The paper obediently rose into the air and settled on top of the desk directly in front of the teacher's. Harry settled in and set to answering the questions on the parchment as thoroughly as he could. The questions ranged from people like Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball to events like the Warlock's Convention of 1709 and goblin rebellions. Harry knew about most of the material covered by the tests, but sometimes he only knew the bare-basics about a topic and, on one question, he knew nothing at all. He had not covered what had happened in 1289 regarding Sardinian sorcerers. Honestly, Harry wasn't even sure what Sardinian was, although he was guessing it was a nationality.

By the time he finished, Harry felt as exhausted as Dumbledore had predicted. He tuned out the old wizard's cheerful chatter, leaving that to Quatre to handle. Instead, he walked in time with Trowa and leaned heavily against his side. If it weren't for his brother's strong arm wrapped around his shoulders, he probably would have sagged to the floor and never gotten up again.

From six in the morning until eleven when he had stopped for lunch, and then starting again at noon until five-thirty in the evening, he'd been testing for nearly nine hours total. His brain was officially mush. Not even the elaborate meal could lift his spirits. He just wanted to go home.

"One more test, my boy," Dumbledore said with understanding. "And I have a feeling, it will be more a pleasure than otherwise."

The last was said almost sadly, which Harry didn't understand. If it was going to be easy, and it absolutely was, then the Headmaster should be happy for him. Sighing, Harry chalked it up to the Bi-Polar-ness the Headmaster displayed.

They all were guided to the highest tower, the Astronomy tower. The roof was missing, leaving them standing under a sky not yet dark. Harry sighed tiredly. It would be hours before they could see the stars through the distortion caused by the atmosphere.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter. I don't believe we've had the pleasure."

Harry turned to see the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her face was perfectly proportioned. She looked neither young nor old; instead seeming timeless to Harry's eyes. Her long black hair floated on the wind, and her eyes were a deep midnight blue that was only a shade darker than Heero's. Then there was her curvy feminine figure and moderately full breasts.

"My name is Professor Sinistra," she introduced herself, voice low and smoky. "The Headmaster warns me I will be shocked by your knowledge of the heavens."

"I… I'll try to prove him correct, Professor," Harry said, stumbling slightly over his words. His cheeks heated and he could practically feel Duo laughing his ass off at him right about now.

Professor Sinistra offered a mysterious smile before lifting her hands to the sky. Darkness fell over them. Harry gaped as a window seemed to open up directly into space. Harry felt tears prickle at his eyes. Home, he thought with a rather surprisingly intense pang in his chest. A hand slipped into his own and Harry squeezed, knowing without looking that it was Trowa.

The next two hours passed too fast in Harry's opinion. He was no longer eager to get back to Grimmauld Place as he didn't want to be torn from the beautiful heavens. He even managed to forget he was being tested. Instead it felt like a dialogue where they told stories about constellations and picked out stars by their names, names as familiar to Harry as his own.

"Goodbye, Harry. The Headmaster was right. I am surprised, but in a pleasant way." Sinistra reached out to touch Harry's cheek. Her fingers barely touched skin before they were gone. "If you wish to share the night sky again, feel free to knock upon my door. I sleep during the day, so it is never too late for a chat."

"Thank you, Professor Sinistra," Harry said sincerely and gave a deep bow from his waist. "I look forward to that."

The woman gave another mysterious smile as Quatre pulled Harry away. "Should I be worried?" he asked lightly, his blue eyes sparkling.

"No!" Harry hissed, face a bright red.

"Hmmm. I should hope not. She's a little old for you," Quatre teased. "Just wait until Heero finds out about this."

"Cat!" Harry exclaimed in outrage. "Don't!"

Trowa laughed and Harry glared at him for the betrayal.

Of course, telling Heero meant telling Duo, but Harry hurried to bed as soon as he got home and no one had the chance to tease him further. He slept nearly eleven hours and didn't come downstairs until it was almost lunch. He eyed Duo suspiciously, but his brother seemed oblivious. Harry sighed in relief. Maybe Quatre had mercy and hadn't spread the word?

"Your exam results just arrived!" Sirius called, coming into the kitchen at a dead run. "Open them, kid! I'm dying to see!"

Harry stood and grabbed the thick envelope and practically tore into it.

Dear Mr. Potter,

Your scores given fairly by Professors qualified in their field of study and accepted thereby by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the First year curriculum are as follows: four O's and three E's, which are sufficient to advance you to the next Year level.

Charms essay and practical: O, O

Overall score of an Outstanding

Herbology essay and practical : O, E

Overall score of an Outstanding

Transfiguration essay and practical: E, E

Overall score of an Exceeds Expectations

Potions practical: E

Overall score of an Exceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts essay and practical: O, O

Overall score of an Outstanding

History of Magic exam: E

Overall score of an Exceeds Expectations

Astronomy practical: O

Overall score of Outstanding

Your scores given fairly by Professors qualified in their field of study and accepted thereby by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the Second year curriculum are as follows: three O's, two E's, and two A's, which are sufficient to advance you to the next Year level.

Charms essay and practical: O, O

Overall score of an Outstanding

Herbology essay and practical: O, E

Overall score of an Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration essay and practical: E, A

Overall score of an Acceptable

Potions practical: E

Overall score of an Exceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts essay and practical: O, O

Overall score of an Outstanding

History of Magic exam: A

Overall score of Acceptable

Astronomy practical: O

Overall score of Outstanding

We look forward to your arrival on the morning of the last day of August to test your mastery of Third year material. Have a wonderful rest of the summer and congratulations.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry gave a big sigh and passed the report on.

"Harry, this is incredible," Wufei said, looking up from reading over Heero's shoulder. "You should be proud at how far you've come in such a short time."

"I am," Harry reassured with a smile. "I just have so much farther to go."

Remus put his arm around the teenager, smiling widely when Harry accepted the gesture without tension in his shoulders. "We'll get you there, Harry. Never fear."

"Wonder what you'll do to keep that perfect score in Astronomy," Duo voiced, eyes narrowed with sly humor.

"Duo!" Harry cried.

"Are you sure she's not an Anatomy teacher?" Duo asked with a laugh.

"Shut up, Duo!" Harry leapt on top of the table and jumped at his madly cackling brother. "It's not like that!" he yelled only to burst into peals of laughter himself as Duo retaliated with a tickle attack.

Chapter end.

A/N:

I'm glad so many of you are still interested in this story. I'm sorry for the shorter length of last chapter and the choppiness of this one. The problem I've been having is that most of the scenes in my head are from Hogwarts onward. I'm having a really hard time constructing scenes over the summer before Harry starts his Fourth year. So instead of holding the whole story up and not writing at all, I'm going to hurry through the summer.

I want you to know the quality of this story will improve greatly once I get Harry to Hogwarts. I hope you still enjoy these few scenes I've managed to force out of my head. I've tried to cover the main events as best as possible during this jammed-packed summer. Mostly it's being spent in intensive study and war meetings, basically just preparation for what's to come, which is very tedious to write.

Please, please Review!

Thank you.