Harry got ready for bed that night still buzzing about the match. His team had won by ten points after he caught the snitch. The others had been too good as chasers, having practiced together and Bill and Ginny were used to playing that position. Fred and George had concentrated on trying to hit each other with the bludgers while Harry and Charlie were playfully competing for the snitch, having heard a lot about each other from Ron and the Twins. They were pretty evenly matched but Harry had the advantage of the Firebolt, allowing him to catch the snitch even though Charlie spotted it first. The whole thing had been taken as fun and everyone had enjoyed mucking about, no one being serious.
As he came back into the room from using the bathroom Harry caught sight of the quill lying on his bed. Deciding to try wandless magic again he carefully shut the door and moved across to the bed, sitting on the pillow. He breathed out as he forced thoughts of the match to the back of his head, even-though the carefree feeling remained.
Repeating the now familiar process, Harry concentrated on the quill and the incantation necessary to levitate it. What was different this time was the eagerness with which he felt his magic respond. It seemed to rush out of him towards the feather, steadily levitating it about a foot and a half above the duvet. Harry blinked and rubbed his eye but the feather remained steady, not dipping or quivering until his concentration was disturbed.
Hearing a thud behind him Harry spun round, allowing the feather to settle back on the bed.
Sirius stood just inside the door with his mouth open, staring at Harry, the photo album he was returning lying forgotten at his feet.
Harry searched for something to say, but settled at reluctantly letting Sirius start, unsure of his mood.
Finally gathering his wits, Sirius shut the door and retrieved the album, placing gently on the bedside table before sitting on the bed next to his godson.
"I'd tell you that it's illegal to do magic outside of Hogwarts but I can't see your wand. How long have you been able to do this?" Sirius asked, calmly.
"Are you mad?" Harry said instead, not wanting to upset his godfather.
"No. I'm shocked but I'm not mad. Why would I be?" Sirius asked, confused.
"We lied on the beach, when Ron asked about wandless magic. And it's… not normal," Harry said, reluctantly.
"Why would I care if it was normal?" Sirius asked, before the penny dropped and he realised. "Those bloody Dursleys! Dammit Harry, I'll love you no matter what you do. Ok it's not normal but who cares? What is normal?" he asked rhetorically.
"You love me? Harry asked quietly, sunned by the matter of fact why it had been said.
"Of course I do! I have since the day you were born and you squeezed my finger so tight that you cut off the circulation!"
Harry just smiled, stunned that someone had actually said that to him. He had grown used to having it directed at others, especially Dudley, and by the time he was eight he had accepted that his aunt and uncle would never say it to him.
"Anyway, we were discussing your remarkable achievement. So, how long have you been able to do wandless magic?" Sirius repeated.
"It started in a physics lesson at the Home this summer. The teacher threatened to throw me out because I was asking a lot of questions and then I dropped my pen. I couldn't reach it so I sat there wishing I could just accio it when it started slowly twitching and moving towards me. It only moved about two feet but Jase was able to reach it for me after that. I wrote to Ron and Hermione to see what they knew about wandless magic."
"Hence Ron's questions," Sirius added.
Harry just nodded and continued to explain the situation.
"Since we arrived here Hermione has been looking through Dumbledore's library for books. All of them are theoretical but some are useful. I've managed to levitate one of my quills about a foot of the table but it's always wobbly and unsteady."
"Always? How many times have you managed this?" Sirius demanded, shocked at the use of the plural.
"Four or five, not including tonight. Tonight was… different."
"Different how?"
"It was much easier tonight than it ever has been. Usually the quill wobbles and I'm not able to hold it for long, even with my full concentration, but tonight…" he trailed off as he struggled for the words to explain.
Sirius waited patiently, intrigued by the events.
"Tonight, even though I was till partially thinking about the Quiddich game, it was much easier. The quill was steady and I was able to move while I was doing it, which I haven't been able to before. It was almost like my magic wanted to do something and I just had to encourage and let it."
"I have to admit I'm in over my head here. Moony's the one you need to talk to about this, and he will keep it a secret if you want him to. I would like a look at some of those books though," Sirius replied.
Harry nodded and fetched a couple of books from a pile hidden behind his schoolbooks.
"Thanks Sirius. I'd like to be able to do this but I don't know how much more I can do on my own," Harry admitted.
"Hey, it's what I'm here for! I'll talk to Moony in the morning," Sirius promised, giving Harry a one armed hug before leaving.
Harry sat there for a few more minutes, trying to make sense of the events. Finally giving up, he decided to leave it for tomorrow and turned out the light, letting thoughts of the Quiddich match resurface.
"Morning Harry! Padfoot said you wanted to talk," Remus greeted, walking into the library and sitting opposite his friend's son.
"Um yeah. You know how Ron was asking about wandless magic…"
"Go on. I assume it wasn't just because of curiosity."
"Not really. I can do some wandless magic. How much has Sirius told you?"
"He told me about the incident in your physics lesson, but on its own I'd have attributed it to accidental magic. Why don't you tell me the rest?"
"I've been reading books about various theories and trying them. I can levitate a feather but not very high and it's unsteady. But last night although I wasn't fully concentrating it was easier. I could hold it steady about half a foot higher than usual and I was able to move my hands at the same time, which I haven't been able to do before," Harry explained, anxious for his old professor's insight.
"You said you weren't fully concentrating. Why not?"
"I was still thinking about the Quiddich game in the back of my mind."
"When you've been trying before, how were you feeling? Happy? Sad?"
"I wasn't feeling anything in particular. I was too focused on trying to levitate the quill," Harry replied, unsure as to why it was important but trusting Remus.
"I think that's why there was such a difference. Your magic has always been more responsive when you're feeling strong emotions and it was obvious that you were happy and relaxed yesterday, which I think made the wandless magic easier."
"That makes sense. It also explains why I was able to move the pen in the science lab when I was incredibly frustrated," Harry agreed.
"What does wandless magic feel like?" Remus asked, genuinely curious.
"It's… it feels fizzy. Do you know what static electricity feels like?"
Remus shook his head, knowing what Harry was talking about but lacking the experience.
"Um… it's like a fizzy drink. I can feel it bubbling up and flowing out to surround whatever I'm trying to levitate. Yesterday it felt eager, like it wanted something to do," Harry explained, unsure of how coherent his explanation was.
"That makes sense. Is it easy to feel?"
"Not really. It takes a lot of concentration and the connection flickers. It's like it's buried and I have to dig to reach it."
"Have you tried meditating? It might make it easier to reach your magic, and make the connection less tenuous in the process," Remus suggested, fascinated by what he had heard. Practical experience was nearly always better than reading about phenomena.
"You really think it will help?"
"It can't hurt," Remus replied reasonably.
"I suppose not," Harry mused. After a moment of silence he looked back at Lupin and smiled.
"Thanks for helping. I really wasn't sure what to do."
"I'm always here if you want advice or a second opinion and I know Padfoot is as well."
"You know Padfoot is what?" Sirius asked, wandering in and dropping into a chair.
"Reckless? Lazy? Nosy? Take you pick. I know quite a lot about you!" Moony returned, grinning conspiratorially at Harry.
"Whatever he's told you Harry, it's all lies!"
Harry just rolled his eyes and went back to his reading, leaving the remaining Marauders to bicker.
"I'm not lying! Besides, I have proof that you're nosy!"
"What proof?"
"Our sixth year. The letter James got from his aunt. You grabbed it before he had a chance to read it!" Moony crowed.
"Yeah, well he was just being slow. And you agreed with me if I remember correctly! I remember cleaning out the Owlery as a punishment and using them to send letters to keep you and James awake!" Sirius laughed, reminiscing.
The topic reminded Moony of a letter he needed to discuss with Padfoot.
"Speaking of, I received a letter from Dumbledore today," Remus started, knowing what Sirius' reaction would be.
Sure enough, as soon as the headmaster's name was mentioned his friend started scowling.
"Is he still trying to talk the Dursleys into taking me back?" Harry asked more amused than upset.
He personally saw the move to the orphanage as one of the best things to happen to him, along with being accepted to Hogwarts and finding Padfoot and Moony, but the Hogwarts Headmaster seemed to disagree. He'd spent the last year since Harry had been kicked out of Number 4 Privet Drive alternatively trying to convince the Dursleys that they wanted Harry and threatening them. Neither option had worked and he was unable to use magic on them, which left him out of options.
However amusing Harry found the situation, knowing that the Dursleys wouldn't take him back, Sirius didn't. Ever since he had found out how the Dursleys had treated him when he lived there, he had been trying, equally unsuccessfully, to stop the headmaster's attempts at getting Harry moved back there.
"No, now he just wants you to spend one month a year with them. Two weeks during the summer and then one at Christmas and Easter," Moony continued, ignoring his disgruntled friend.
"Why? I mean, didn't I have to stay there to renew the blood protection from Voldemort?" Harry checked.
Remus nodded, while Sirius straightened up from his slouched position, curious as to where his godson was going with this.
"But since he used my blood to come back isn't it a bit redundant? Or will that have no effect on the protection?"
The Marauders exchanged a look before Sirius ruefully shook his head.
"I can't believe than none of us thought of that. It's stupidly obvious!" he lamented. Suddenly his mood shifted and he grinned.
"I'll use the floo and let Dumbledore know," he added cheerfully, heading out of the room.
"You do realise that without this protection you'll have to be more careful," Remus checked.
"I know. Although it doesn't seem to affect my scar."
"What do you mean?"
"When Voldemort is near, or really angry, my scar hurts. It's like an advanced warning," Harry explained.
Remus looked puzzled, but instead of interrogating his surrogate nephew, he settled for telling him not to rely completely on this connection.
They were both silent for a few minutes, both concentrating on various thoughts before Moony decided to speak up.
"Harry? Would you mind showing me the wandless magic? If you don't want to, or want to try later it's ok," he asked.
"I don't mind. I need a break from this anyway," Harry replied, closing his book and putting his quill on the table between himself and Remus.
Concentrating on the feather, Harry let out a deep breath and stretched out his arm, willing it to rise. Slowly and unsteadily it did, dipping and weaving in the air.
"Try thinking of the Quidditch match yesterday. Remember how you felt," Moony coached, motioning for Sirius to be quiet as he came back into the room, accompanied by Hermione.
With those thoughts in the back of his mind, Harry found that the quill became easier to manipulate. It floated steadily and allowed him to move it to the other side of the table and back before settling gently back onto the tabletop.
"That's amazing. I've never seen anything like it!" Remus murmured in awe.
"At least you were expecting it. I just walked into his room last night to see that," Sirius replied, causing Harry to jump.
"What did Dumbledore say?" he asked, glaring at his godfather for sneaking up on him.
"He said that as Voldemort used your blood the amount of protection that you got from you Aunt lessened, but it was still enough to keep you there. However, that is a moot point because you relatives called the police on Dumbledore and he has decided that you are to remain at the orphanage as long as it is safe," Sirius said, sitting down opposite Moony.
"You've finally escaped from Privet Drive then?" Hermione grinned, sitting next to Harry and looking over his essay.
"Yep. Free at last!"
"By the way, was Moony any help?" Padfoot asked, casting a teasing look in his friend's direction.
"He was. We think that my ability to do wandless magic it linked to my emotions," Harry began, ignoring the way the Sirius' hair turned purple.
"That makes sense. What was the problem?" Hermione asked, not having been told.
"The feather was always shaky and I couldn't get it very high. Then Sirius walked in on me practicing yesterday after the Quiddich match. It was easier then, probably because I was more relaxed."
"Meditation might help as well. The connection with his magic seems deeply subconscious, so meditation should help strengthen it," Remus explained, trying not to grin as he turned his friend's robes green and silver.
Unknown to him however, Sirius had realised what he was doing and had changed Moony's skin so that it was pink with black spots.
"By the way, does anyone know where the Twins found the money to develop their pranks?" Sirius asked. "Molly's been blaming me. Not that I mind! I'm always ready to help a fellow prankster, but it has made me curious."
"Umm… I may have given them my Triwizard winnings on the condition that they buy Ron some new dress robes," Harry confessed, opening his book and trying to disappear.
"I thought you might have," Remus said, before transfiguring Sirius eyebrows into caterpillars.
"Aww. Our little Marauder is financing a new generation of Mischief Makers. Prongs would be so proud," Sirius added, retaliating by switching Remus' ears with those of a rabbit.
"As long as Mrs Weasley doesn't find out. I think I'd get a howler for that!" Harry said, exchanging a look with Hermione, both silently agreeing that a retreat was in order before they got pulled into this prank war.