Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who is reading and thanks to my wonderful beta, Arnel. MNF

Chapter 13:

Education

Friday 25 August 1995

The day was finally cooling down enough that Sirius could tolerate being outside. The years of being cold while in Azkaban did not make him relish the heat; instead, he found he could no longer tolerate anything much above twenty-five degrees. Temperate weather was his preferred range now, and he was hopeful that Wiltshire would prove acceptable as autumn and winter set in.

"Thanks for opening the observatory for Neville and me last night," Harry said. "It was cool to see the comet that Duncan had told us was coming into view. I bet it was amazing through his eyepiece."

"I'm sure it was. He sent a note saying whenever you'd like to go and visit, he's happy to welcome you. He also reminded me to have you take your maths and physics seriously," which Sirius said with a chuckle.

"You know, it might be something to be the first wizard in space," Harry said with interest.

"Two Americans have you beat," Sirius said. "They went up when I was a kid."

"Bummer. Maybe I should study more Muggle subjects, just in case magic remains 'wild' as Maia calls it."

"Harry James Alphard Potter, you are one of the most naturally talented wizards I have ever known, and without or with," he emphasized pointedly, "your wand. You need to stay in the magical world and share your gifts."

"I got both middle names," Harry said with a smirk, "I must be in trouble. No, Sirius, I'm still a wizard, and I love the magical world, but it might be best if I could escape if there's brouhaha when people find out I still have a wand and that Voldemort is gone."

"I know. Amelia will announce on 1 September that there is irrefutable proof that the man once known as Tom Riddle is indeed dead and gone and that he was taken down by you. She will simultaneously release a statement and a few snippets of your memories regarding the death of Cedric Diggory. When all this happens, you will be well hidden here or at Star Gazers Summit." The Summit was another Black family property that Sirius now owned. Once belonging to his great aunt Dorea Black Potter, it was left to Walburga - who never visited it - and came down to Sirius through her. It was near the coast of Ireland, far away from civilization, so night-sky viewing could be done unobstructed. Sirius loved the place, as it was usually warm in the winters and the nights were far darker than any he'd ever seen in London.

"I know you'll keep me safe, Pater," Harry said softly and with such emotion that Sirius pulled him into his chest and hugged him tightly. The pair cherished the feeling of someone holding them close since both had been deprived for much of their lives.

"That I will, my boy," Sirius said warmly back. The conversation turned to a lighter topic, Quidditch. The league did have their brooms back, but the night of the Wandout, something happened, and they didn't behave properly. At an astronomical price, and to the wounded pride of British producers, enough brooms were ordered through American producers to let the season start on time. While Sirius had always been a Puddlemere United fan, which irked his father, who was not a Quidditch fan at all, Harry hadn't had a favourite team.

"My first team captain, Oliver Wood, plays for Puddlemere. He's a Keeper, although he might still be on their reserves," Harry explained.

"Brilliant, I'll get us a box."

"How am I supposed to go to a Quidditch match and stay out of sight of a public which might not be happy to learn I was the one responsible for them losing their wands?"

"First, you're not responsible. Amelia agrees that it was magic's doing and not yours. Second, why do you think I keep such a large storage of Polyjuice Potion? We'll grab some hairs off an unsuspecting villager, and voila, you're not Harry Potter." Harry shook his head a bit; Sirius always seemed to have a plan. "Are you going to be happy when Hermione returns on Monday?"

"Yes, and no," Harry admitted honestly. "She's my closest friend, and there are things I am willing to tell Hermione I'm not comfortable telling anyone but you and Phil, and maybe Remus, but I always feel like he's already carrying too much." Sirius nodded, understanding the compassion completely and concern his son had for the werewolf. "That said, it's been pleasant these last few weeks to not have her with us in our studies with Maia. Neville and I are learning so much, and I can't wait for you to see the greenhouses."

"I've been waiting, but I understand this project is important to the two of you, so I've stayed away. Andy, the groundskeeper, he can't say enough, and Nicola loves her kitchen garden, which I have seen," Sirius gushed. "I am so proud of what you've done."

"Thanks, Sirius," Harry looked up and beamed. The young man had changed dramatically since Sirius brought him home from Hogwarts. Harry had put on about twenty pounds with nutritional potions and a plentiful and healthy diet. Harry was developing muscles in new places with his daily run with Neville and some strength training Sirius and Remus did with him three times a week. Harry had also ditched his glasses and grown his hair out enough, so the weight kept it from flying everywhere. He even had a leather strap like Sirius's that he tied back in. Height would come, but Sirius swore he was up at least an inch.

"So back to Hermione," Pater said. "Not doing well with Maia's lessons?"

"Hermione excels at magical theory and then does her spells based on being perfect in what she's read. There are no books for her to study with green magic, not exactly. Sure, there are some Muggle things she picked up, but they're written by Muggles, and Maia said they weren't worth the paper they were written on."

"Ouch."

"Exactly, Neville and I, and to a lesser degree Hannah and Susan, have learned to reach in and feel our magical core and then push our magic through what we desire to make it become real. Do you understand?"

"I do," Sirius said. "We learned the same way when we had to practice wandless magic at the DMLE Academy. I held onto some of that while I was…away, but I'm brushing up on my skills. Are you okay with Hannah joining in like she has?"

"Other than her giggling at me at least three times a day, it's fine. She's really brilliant at magic and has started hanging out with Alexander in the kitchen."

"Does she have a crush on him too?" Sirius asked.

"No, she's very interested in his pastry work." Sirius nodded and smiled. "I think Neville likes Hannah, but he won't say much because she's so blatantly flirting with me."

"And you're not interested?"

"No."

"Not the right girl, or are you more interested in boys or -"

"No, I like girls, Pater; it's not like that, and Hannah is a perfectly nice girl, but she's not for me."

"What sort of girl do you like, Harry?"

"Well, I wanted to ask a girl to the Yule Ball last year, but she went with Cedric, and well… I'm not really interested anymore. She had long hair that was very shiny."

"The only attribute you're going to say attracted you to her was her long, shiny hair?" Sirius said with a laugh. "There must be more. Me, I'm a legs guy. Give me a girl with good legs and a winning smile, and I'll fall for her. Remus is all about the eyes, and even though he won't admit it, every girl he went with had large breasts. Your dad was all about the girl's bottom. Good butt, he'd follow like a dog."

"That's information I did not need about him, thanks."

"Harry, something makes us take a second look; from there, it's more about how personalities mesh, what feelings are stirred and something intangible called love. If it's hair that attracts you, then that's what holds your key. Come on, we need to get back and find out what some of the others have decided on the tutors we've lined up and if I need to hire more." Harry nodded and strode the remainder of the way to the manor in comfortable silence with his pater.

ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU

"I've gathered the letters here, Harry and Sirius," Augusta said. "It was kind of you to invite so many of your friends to make their way here for tutoring."

"We're all in the same boat," Harry said. "It's just as easy to teach ten of us as it is to teach five."

"Nonetheless, it is gracious," the Longbottom matriarch said.

"How do you want to do this?" Sirius asked. "We could see what classes interested people or if they are interested at all?"

"I think we should just open the letters and see what folks have to say," Harry said. "Professor McGonagall will be back soon, and I'd like to have this squared away before then. She feels bad enough that we can't attend Hogwarts this fall; I don't want her necessarily hearing about what her former charges are doing."

"Are you boys certain about Ron Weasley?" Augusta asked Harry and an up until now quiet Neville.

"Gran, he's just not in the same place that we are," Neville said softly. "Seamus can be a bit odd sometimes, and he does tend to get himself into unbelievable situations, but he wants to learn. Ron doesn't. He would do anything to get out of lessons and assignments. I like him as a person, but the point of our having these tutors is to keep up with our educations, and Ron is simply antithetical to that goal." Augusta nodded and dropped the subject.

These four were the ones pouring through the responses as they were the ones footing the bills, and the letters to their friends had been sent by the two boys. Once all the letters were opened, Harry took to summarizing while Neville wrote notes.

"The Patil twins have returned to India with their parents," Harry said, setting a letter on shockingly pink stationery aside. "Their grandmother took ill, and the family used the opportunity to return. They've purchased new wands and will be entering the magical academy there."

"That's too bad," Neville said. "They were nice, and Parvati always helped me in Potions."

"Dean is returning to Muggle school, which doesn't surprise me at all. He had a challenging time with his mum since she's not magical. He also wants to manage a football team. He couldn't do that from his magical education. He has, however, said he'd love to come to visit."

"We can make that happen," Sirius said.

"Excellent," Neville replied.

"Seamus is in for everything but healing and astronomy," Harry readout. "He has no idea what he's missing for not taking that class from you, but his mum doesn't want him out late at night."

"Which is her prerogative as his mother," August said in a warning tone. Harry was already skimming the next letter.

"Thank the stars, Lavender has said no," Harry announced with a relieved tone. The letter smelled like roses and made him want to gag. "She drives Hermione crazy."

"Well, she wants to kiss everyone," Neville said. "It frightens me."

"That is everyone we invited, plus Susan and Hannah, of course. So, we have six, three guys and three girls. I don't think Mrs Abbott will be upset if she only has five of us for her Healing/First Aid class, especially as she's still working at St. Mungo's full time," Harry said.

"Astronomy will be easier with everyone living here as well, even if we are at Stargazers Summit for the night," Sirius remarked. "What else did you settle on?"

"Professor Flitwick has agreed to teach magical theory, wandless Charms and a bit about the Goblin Nation. Remus is teaching Defensive Theory and Creatures/Magical Species, and you're both going to teach us Hand-to-Hand combat," Harry said while looking at Sirius.

"Maia will continue with her wandless magic class and expand on our knowledge of plants," Neville continued. "Amelia said she'd work with us on Arithmancy and Sirius, you said you'd do Runes?"

"Of course, Neville, it was my favourite subject at school."

"Lady Longbottom has agreed to handle history, both magical and Muggle," Harry said respectfully.

"You cannot learn from the mistakes of the past if you don't know them," she said with emphasis.

"Well, except for no maths," Sirius said with a sideways grin at his son, "I think we've managed to put together a rather well-balanced educational plan."

"I agree," Augusta said. "You two should be proud of what you came up with, and I am proud of you for asking the folks in the house to help provide. I hope that a Chief witch or warlock will be elected at the next Wizengamot meeting. After that, I want to hand the reins over."

"You've done admirably these last few months," Sirius said. "You two will also be able to take your seats at the next meeting. Are you excited?"

"A bit," Harry confessed, but it's only ten days after the announcement, and I don't want to be a spectacle."

"You leave that to Amy and me."

ITWAU ITWAU ITWAU

"So, we've talked about your holiday, the classes we're taking, how things have been with Phil and pater and your mum and dad, and you look apprehensive," Harry said. "What aren't you asking me, Hermione?"

"You're spending too much time with your therapist," she joked. "I used to be the sensitive one."

"Yeah, well, I also hung out with Ron most of the time before, and he is utterly insensitive." They were outside, walking between the greenhouses and gardens. Harry had been showing her what he and Neville had accomplished while she was away.

"Funny you should mention Ron," Hermione said awkwardly. "Well, not Ron exactly but rather Ginny. Harry, could I invite her over for a day? I promise that she will not follow you about all day. I just, well, with Hannah here, Susan doesn't pay me much attention, and you and Neville have really bonded, and I don't begrudge you that friendship; I think it's good for you. I just…I feel like a third wheel with the other girls, and Ginny and I have become friends, and I don't want to be -" Harry put a hand to her lips.

"Hermione, I've never seen you do that," he said in semi-shock. "All you had to do was ask. I like Ginny, not like-like her, but she's funny, and she flies very well. She behaved herself when we went to Luna's, so if the girl comes to visit, all will be good. I won't have her back if the girl who does the 'hero-worship-stare' shows. She just needs to come without Ron."

"We can figure out how that will happen," Hermione said. "Thank you, Harry."

"Hermione, you're still my best friend," he said gently. "I like to see you happy. Now, let's talk about how we will convince your parents to let you stay here once school starts. Driving back and forth is going will get old very quickly."