Monday 16 December, 1991 Severus Snape's Office
Harry knocked on Snape's office door after classes had released for the day. Tucked under his arm was a gift-wrapped package and he hoped the man was in his office.
"Enter," Harry heard Severus call out.
"Professor? I just wanted to give you an early Christmas present as I'm not sure as to how to send them from home."
Severus' eyebrow rose in curiosity. It was an unusual situation that any student would give him a gift. He took the wrapped package from Harry and tore off the paper. When he saw what was inside his hands began to shake slightly.
"Mr. Potter…Harry? My…own Potioneer's Assistant?" He stammered.
"Yup. It's the latest version that includes a chat feature that will allow communication between two users nearly instantaneously. I've already taken the liberty to upload all of my notes, recipes and ingredients into the database…" Harry trailed off at the end, nervously waiting to see what Severus' reaction would be.
Severus stared at the journal a bit longer, a tear forming in his eyes, before getting up and moving around the desk. He knelt down and enveloped Harry in a strong hug as thanks for gifting him something so valuable.
"Thank you…Harry. I'm incredibly honored that you'd give me one of these."
"You're welcome, sir." Harry took the journal back and opened it up to the introduction page and with his finger pointed to the production number. In gold lettering it read, 'Severus Snape #00001.' He gave Severus a grin and took his leave.
Severus in the meantime began scrolling through all the different tabs and perused through the database, mesmerized by the contents within. He vowed to himself again that he would never view Harry as merely the spawn of his hated, long-dead nemesis but as the gifted son of his childhood love. 'Lily, you'd be so proud of him.'
Monday 23 December, 1991 Headmaster's Office
The students were getting prepped to leave for the Christmas break and Severus sincerely wished he was amongst them as well but no, Dumbledore demanded his presence. Ever since the man had returned from being detained back by the DMLE back at the end of last month, he had been increasingly…disturbed.
"Severus! There must be something I can do to get the Potter boy back under my control. I do not like this independence he's been showing this year. I want him meek and pliable so he can fulfill the destiny I have planned for him. It's for the Greater Good that he not have hope for a future!" Albus ranted as Severus entered the Headmaster's office.
Just then his Assistant buzzed quietly in his pocket. Slowly and carefully, he pulled it out and opened it up to the Communication page. There, scrawled on the page was the message, 'Professor Sprout is looking for you, saying something about needing your help with dealing with another fight between Weasley and Malfoy. I swear those two ought to just get a room...'
He quietly snorted then wrote back, 'I'm in a meeting with the Headmaster. He's ranting about you again. Says your popularity is something that he cannot abide by. He's unhappy that you're more popular than he is these days and have been since the start of the school year.'
The next message nearly had him laughing, 'Twit. Maybe he ought to get off his wrinkly butt and create something revolutionary like I did. Okay, be safe and I'll let Professor Sprout know about your predicament.'
Severus just then had a brainwave, he wrote back 'Do you have any more of those Memory Spheres available? I need one quick as possible. If you do, call for a castle-elf and have it deliver it to me and quietly.'
A moment later a sphere appeared in his lap. He quickly tapped the 'record' rune with his wand and turned back to Dumbledore who had begun pacing behind his desk and muttering sulphurously.
"Sir, what did you mean about what you just said? His destiny? Why would you want the boy to be meek and pliable? Wouldn't it be better for him to be trained so he can deal with the threat of the Dark Lord as you've so often said he'd return?" Severus slyly inquired.
Not realizing he was being set up, Dumbledore expanded upon his earlier rant about how, through his own machinations, he had engineered for young Severus to overhear the first couple lines of a prophecy that had been given to him by the Divination teacher, Sybil Trelawney. Snape started glowering at the man at that point, hurt by the betrayal. Dumbledore had heard the prophecy in his office but quickly put Trelawney under the Imperious Curse and set her up at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. His reasoning for that was Albus needed something to finally win the war that was raging at the time. He then crowed upon the fact that he had convinced the Potters to go into hiding under a Fidelius Charm knowing full well that the Potter's Secret Keeper was not Sirius Black like everyone thought but in reality was Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore laughed about how it was so easy to cast a mild Compulsion Charm on Sirius to take revenge and go haring off after Pettigrew.
Dumbledore cackled with a maniacal look on his face as he related that he had successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of the Ministry and the idiots of the general population about that little known fact. He then had Sirius dumped into Azkaban without a trial so Albus could illegally place the boy at his aunt's house and erect blood wards to keep others out until it was deemed time by himself to bring Harry back into the magical world. He planned on having Harry kept magically and knowledgably weak so he could be offered up as a lamb to slaughter. Then Albus could swoop in, destroy Voldemort and Albus' star and political power would never again be questioned.
Albus also gleefully spoke about pulling a fast one on the Goblins, instructing them to transfer money and artifacts out of the Potter family vault and transferring it to his own. After all, it wasn't like the boy would ever need to know how wealthy he was. Severus then asked Albus about his reasoning behind keeping Harry's heritage from him. Albus casually replied that the Potter role in the magical world in general and the Wizengamot specifically would've given the boy more power, influence and friends than Albus wanted him to have. The Potter boy was his weapon against Voldemort! What was his happiness or well being compared to that of the Greater Good?
Severus quietly asked the Headmaster to explain his ideal of the Greater Good. The revelation of that topic was enough to get Severus' stomach to turn. The idea to rule over the muggles and to force them to submit? It was straight out of the playbook by Grindlewald back during the Second World War!
"When Tom returns," ranted Albus, "as I know he will, Harry needs to be in the mindset to willingly sacrifice himself as to weaken Tom which would then give me the opportunity to rectify my mistakes from decades past. I had already defeated one old friend and colleague; I didn't need another upstart muscling in on my accolades and adulations! He had too many awards to begin with! Prefect, Head Boy, Winner of Special Services to the School, Bah! Of course, as the Vanquisher of the Dark Lord, my influence over the magical world would be unparalleled. No one would question my motives ever again! So the brat has to stay with relatives who don't love him or care for him? So what if I have to wreck his reputation on the creation over the Potioneer's Assistant? What was the happiness and well being of one boy in comparison to 'The Greater Good?"
Severus listened on in increasing horror at the demented ravings of the Headmaster, silently thanking Harry for creating these Memory Spheres. He hoped to all that was holy that the sphere was recording everything properly. He was having a hard time accepting that the man everyone thought was the 'Leader of the Light' could be so… Dark. Severus wondered what it was that caused the Headmaster to finally snap. It sounded like the old man hadn't really gotten over the fact that the war was over. He hoped that he could get away quickly enough to send the sphere to Director Bones at the DMLE before too long. This was huge!
King's Cross Station, London…
The train pulled into King's Cross Station promptly at five p.m. Harry helped Hermione with her trunk and let Hedwig out to fly home. Once they were through the portal, Hermione let out a squeal of delight when she spotted her parents and ran over to them. Harry spotted Vernon and approached carefully; it had been a while since he had dosed the Dursley family with a mood-altering potion and was a bit fearful of the treatment he might receive.
"Uncle Vernon? H-how are you?"
"Not bad, traffic was a bit heavy but nothing I couldn't handle… listen, I have a question for you," Harry perked up at this in shock, it was an unusual thing for Vernon to be this calm let alone asking him a question without being under the influence of a Draught, "Would you happen to know anyone in your world's law enforcement? I think our house may have been broken into by a…magical."
"Uhh, yeah I do. The Director of Magical Law Enforcement told me how to get in so I can show you the way to the visitor's entrance and take you to her. Do you know if anything was damaged or anything?" Harry asked.
"That's the thing, there's nothing stolen or broken. It's more like a feeling that wasn't there before you left. Since you've been gone, my anger towards you has increased; I've been getting thoughts of violence towards you, things of that nature. I know that you'd been giving us Calming Draughts before you left."
"Y-you knew?" Harry stammered nervously.
"Hm-mmm, there had been times when I'd arrive at work and the stress of the job or the workers just wouldn't get to me. It took Pet and I a while to figure it out but after you'd gone to that school, it became clear to us. Don't worry, I understand why you did it and frankly, I'm grateful. My doctor has even commented on how low my blood pressure had been during that time." Vernon replied.
So Harry guided Vernon to Whitehall and ushered him to one of the iconic London red telephone boxes. Once inside and the door closed, Harry picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the Ministry of Magic. An automated voice called out and asked for their names and destination.
"Harry Potter and Vernon Dursley here to see Madam Amelia Bones regarding a potential magical home invasion." Two badges slid out of the coin return slot. Each one held the name of each of them and an abbreviated reason for their visit. The voice reminded the visitors to stop by the security desk once inside then the booth began to descend into the ground.
"Interesting method of getting people into the building, Harry," Vernon commented dryly.
Harry just shrugged his shoulders, "Hiding the portal to the train platform is just as bad. They could've built their own station and hidden it behind wards rather than try to squeeze it into King's Cross. This is no different."
They reached the bottom of the lift and exited into the Ministry Atrium. Both were amazed and rather impressed by the grandeur of the scene. Moving stars and messages floated around the ceiling, the walls covered by impressive slabs of marble and bordered by gold. A central glass dome added to the brightness and open-air feeling despite being underground. There was a golden fountain in the center that portrayed a wizard, witch, goblin, centaur and house-elf. A bank of fireplaces lined one wall and green flames were occasionally spitting out incoming witches and wizards.
The two of them approached the security desk and requested a visit with Madam Bones saying that it was a matter of urgency. They were escorted to the waiting area outside her office where it only took about five minutes before being ushered inside.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Dursley, welcome. Mr. Dursley, I am Amelia Bones, Director of the Magical Law Enforcement. Judging by the looks on your faces, it's your first time to the Ministry?" They nodded, "What is it that I can help you with?"
Vernon explained the events that had occurred over the past month and the resulting emotions and thoughts that had affected him and his wife towards Harry. He pulled a cassette tape out of his jacket and said that after the first attempted break-in, he had a security camera installed in a hidden spot and managed to get the perpetrator on tape. Amelia was pleased that Vernon was proactive to come to her with this evidence rather than trying to handle it himself. In her professional opinion, he would've had a impossibly difficult time in subduing a magical attacker.
Amelia set up a muggle video player and television, explaining to Harry and Vernon that sometimes they had to view recordings from the security cameras that were placed around the city and therefore, it paid to have one of these units available.
They watched the tape and to Harry's horror and disgust, it was the Headmaster! They could see him waving his wand and placing a rather hideous looking vase on the mantle then apparated out.
Amelia sat back in her chair after making a copy of the tape and handing the original back to Vernon, "So is it your wish that we at the DMLE do something about this?" She gave both of them a pointed look.
Harry picked up on this right away, "Madam Bones, as the last surviving Potter, it is my official wish that this department utilize whatever resource you have to prosecute Albus Dumbledore for breaking and entering, setting illegal wards, muggle-baiting, and whatever else you can charge him with. This is a clear threat to myself and my family."
Vernon just gave Harry a bemused look, turned back to Amelia and agreed, "What he said…"
"Ok, then," confirmed Amelia, "I shall have a curse and ward-breaker come to your home as soon as possible to check over the situation. Upon their recommendations will be our next course of action. The video alone is rather damning evidence but we should do this by the book."
Tuesday 24 December, 1991 Dursley Residence
On Christmas Eve, Harry wrote a letter to Neville wishing him a Happy Christmas and that he no longer needed to have his name down on the waiting list at Slug and Jigger's Apothecary for the latest version of the Potioneer's Assistant. He had wrapped up the gifts and sent them out with Hedwig that afternoon. He gifted Neville and Madam Poppy Pomfrey a Potioneer's Assistant, a Teacher's Assistant to all of his professors and a Student's Helper to Amelia Bones.
A Ministry curse and ward-breaker showed up just past eleven in the morning the same day and began casting diagnostic charms. The results were rather disgusting and shocking. There were multiple wards set up and keyed to Harry. There was a mail-redirection for any owls other than Hogwarts and Hedwig, there was a ward setup to prevent any magical with ill-intent from getting on the property, there were a host of sensor wards to inform the recipient of the condition of the inhabitants and most horrific, at least to Harry, was a ward emanating from that ugly vase that would cause the inhabitants to have angry and violent thoughts and feelings directed towards Harry.
"I got a question, sir," Harry asked politely, "how are all these wards and curses powered? Is there a magical power source nearby?"
"That's one of the things that really disgusted me when I ran the diagnostics. Everything is being tied to your magical core. In essence, you are the magical power source. I would highly recommend that you get yourself over to Saint Mungo's and have them check you out for anything malicious."
"I was already seen by someone at the Department of Mysteries for things involving my scar, sir. Do you still see my core powering these bad things?" Harry asked.
The curse-breaker ran a different diagnostic over Harry and grimaced, "Yup, I'm still detecting something. I'm still recommending that you go to the hospital as soon as you can." Harry nodded sadly.
The curse-breaker finished up his sweep and began dismantling the wards and curses currently in place. Harry asked him if he would leave the mail-redirection ward up and have the mail rerouted to the DMLE and have it 'Attention to Amelia Bones' so it could be checked for anything dangerous before being sent onwards. The breaker agreed and set about his work. It took the better part of three hours but it was all finished and Harry and the Dursleys gave their thanks to the breaker.
Harry had received instructions on how to summon the Knight Bus. Once the breaker left, Harry stood out on the curb and held out his wand arm. There was a loud bang and a violently purple triple-decker bus pulled up to a stop.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, your rescue for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I'll be your conductor for this trip," announced a pimply-faced boy just out of his teens.
"Hi, how much to get to Saint Mungo's?" Harry inquired.
"Eleven Sickles." Stan replied.
Harry handed over the money and climbed aboard. The trip was one of the most harrowing experiences that Harry had ever had. The driver couldn't seem to stay in a straight line, weaving in and out of the road. The speed at which they were driving hat was almost as fast as an airplane! Harry held onto a railing for dear life yet still got knocked about as the bus sped its way through traffic. They arrived in record time and Harry waved good-bye to Stan and the driver. He hoped that he wouldn't have to go through that again. He would take the normal bus line home. He entered the hospital and got seen by Healer Jeremy Brenner again. He explained what the curse-breaker had discovered and so sat through another round of diagnostic charms. Fortunately, there wasn't anything life or magically threatening but Jeremy was able to remove the Charms and bindings on his core. He was warned that his magic might fluctuate a bit now that the bindings were removed so to keep the magic casting to a minimum for at least a week. After finishing up, he grabbed the normal local bus back to Privet Drive and settled in for the night, relieved.
Wednesday 25 December, 1991 Dursley Residence
Harry woke up early and started getting ready for the day. He wanted to get over to Miss Honeybloom's house as soon as possible. She had sent him a letter near the beginning of December inviting him to spend Christmas Day with her and that she had a surprise to tell him. He made a quick breakfast and bolted it down as fast as he could without getting sick. His aunt had left him a short list of chores for him to do and so with a final gulp of milk, he got started by dragging out the trashcan to the backyard to be scrubbed out.
Finally by ten o'clock he was done, took another shower and put on his nice clothes then headed over to his favorite teacher's house. He was glad to have been able to still write letters to her since arriving at Hogwarts. If it weren't for her, Hedwig would've been bored silly. He occasionally contacted his Goblin business manager but even that was irregular. Even Hermione, with her letter writing to her parents would've still left the poor bird with little to do.
He raced up to her door and pushed the doorbell button. After a moment, the door opened and Harry received a surprise. His Primary Five teacher, Mr. Cody greeted him with a loud and joyous welcome.
"Merry Christmas, Harry!" he began, "Come in, come in. Betcha surprised to see me?"
Harry could only nod in muted shock. Last he heard, Mr. Cody had left teaching to become the manager of the manufacturing facility that was going to be producing his Assistants and was now living in London.
Belinda Honeybloom came into the room via the kitchen, "Robert! Don't break him just yet, he needs to be able to open his presents!" she scolded him gently while handing Harry a drink.
Harry finally got his brain back into gear, "You two are in a relationship? When did that happen?" he croaked.
"You see, Bell? I told you he'd be fine." Robert remarked smugly, "Well, you see Harry, ever since we got started helping you with the creation and development of the Assistant, the two of us have come to realize that…well, we love each other. As a matter of fact, we'll be getting married in March."
Harry nearly choked on his drink, "Married?" he glanced at the two of them before breaking out with a broad grin, "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for the two of you."
Talk now concentrated on the new couple's relationship and upcoming wedding plans as well as what was happening back at St. Grogory and down at the manufacturing plant; Harry brought them up to speed about the high points in his first year at Hogwarts. People he met, friends he'd made and the measures he'd taken to deal with the ongoing problems that were Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Both Belinda and Robert were howling with laughter at some of the results from the potion 'treatments' given to both boys. He also discussed the ongoing problems caused by the Headmaster. Belinda had commented that she always knew there had to be a problem with him even as far back as that first day with Harry in her class. He told them about the Muggle Studies demonstration and the reactions from the students and staff. He mentioned that he had no idea if there were going to be any improvements made to the curriculum but, hey, they had planted the seed! Then he told the two of them what had happened between the Dursleys and Dumbledore. They were both livid with anger that Dumbledore had stooped to new lows. Belinda was visibly distraught at the thought of the bindings and charms that had been placed on Harry and relieved to know that they had been removed.
Thursday 26 December, 1991 Lupin Residence, Folkstone
The next day, Remus swung by to pick Harry up for the rest of the break. He had apologized for not being able to get him for Christmas Day, as he needed to make some repairs to his house to make it habitable for two people again. Harry shrugged it off and told him not to worry as he got to visit with his two favorite teachers from his primary school. Harry peppered Remus with a bunch of questions about his life as a werewolf, which surprised and amused Remus, as Harry didn't seem repulsed by the idea that he turned into a raving, bloodthirsty beast once a month.
"Remus, it's not a problem, honestly!" Harry exclaimed, "I've met girls at Hogwarts who become nearly the same thing once a month for nearly a week!" Remus chuckled and asked if Harry understood what that meant.
"Yes, I know what it means, I'm not a completely clueless boy." Harry grumbled back.
For the rest of the day, Remus regaled Harry with stories about his parents when they were his age. Stories of some of the pranks he, James, Sirius and Peter pulled on the school at large and certain deserving members of Slytherin House specifically. He reminisced about the hundreds of failed attempts that James had done to get Lily to go out with him; Harry was splitting a seam he was laughing so hard.
Harry then told Remus about the ongoing saga between Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy in their ill-fated quest to become best friend to 'The Boy-Who-Lived'. Remus laughed uproariously as he described some of the potion related retaliation that he had to employ to get the twin idiots to leave him alone.
"So far they've left me alone for the most part and just concentrated their efforts to see who could insult the other's family the most and such. Most everyone else is tired of the constant episodes of the 'Battle of The Two Idiots' but for some reason are reluctant to actually do anything about it. I know that Professors McGonagall and Snape have done their best to keep the two away from each other but there's only so much they can do when not in sight." Harry sighed at the end.
"Snape? As in Severus Snape? Greasy hair, big beak, sour attitude towards just about everyone?" Remus inquired.
"I wouldn't describe him using those words but yeah that does sound like him. Why?"
"He was at school with us and hated your father something fierce, especially after our fifth year. You see, he was in love with Lily and they had a falling out. There was also a number of incidents where your father and Sirius would target Snape specifically for the simple reason that they hated each other."
Harry shook his head sadly, "That's terrible! The man has been nothing but a great help and a source of inspiration to me. I take it that they never got past their differences when they graduated?" Remus shook his head no.
"That's just wrong. I think maybe I should have a talk with him when I get back. See if I can get his side of the story. No offense, Remus but there seems to be more to this than you're telling me."
"It's not a problem, Harry. I'd do the same thing if I were in your position. Now, let's see that potion's journal everyone's been raving about."
Friday 27 December, 1991 Lupin Residence
The next morning, Harry stumbled into the kitchen where he found Remus cooking up breakfast. Mumbling a 'good morning,' he plunked down into a chair and grabbed a mug to fill with coffee. He blearily spotted the morning edition of the Daily Prophet and slid it over in front of him. What he saw as the top headline nearly caused him to spit out his coffee and made him wonder if he were still dreaming.
Dumbledore Arrested!
By Arnold Whitewater
Albus Dumbledore, age 124, was arrested after an anonymous source delivered evidence that the 'Leader of the Light' is not who everyone thinks he is! Rumors of falsely incarcerated members of society, illegal redirection of resources and personnel, money laundering and others abound. Sources close to the Ministry have stated unofficially that the Headmaster of Hogwarts had been acting strangely for months since the start of the school year back in September. According to those sources, the Headmaster had been brought in for questioning on October thirty-first in regards to allegations that he attacked a student. With a bit of digging, this reporter has discovered that the student who was attacked was none other than Harry Potter, 'The Boy-Who-Lived'! While the details of the alleged attack haven't been released, it does beg the question as to why such a venerated leader would attack a defenseless boy? What else is the supposed 'Leader of the Light' hiding? This latest development now brings the question, 'Is Dumbledore too old to lead anymore? Has he lost his grip on reality?'
For more on Albus Dumbledore's contributions to our society, turn to page four. For more on Harry Potter's history and contributions, turn to page six.
Dumbledore Sacked As Headmaster!
By Harold Meechum
Albus Dumbledore, long serving educator, has been summarily dismissed as Headmaster by the Hogwarts Board of Governors as a result of his latest arrest by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While the Board would not get into specifics, their spokeswizard did state that a headmaster or headmistress must be above reproach while employed at the school. "To do so otherwise is disrespectful and brings shame to our illustrious school." In the meantime, while the Governors decide who shall fill the now vacant position, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall shall be elevated to Acting Headmistress.
For more on the suspected actions of Albus Dumbledore, turn to page two. For more on the history of Minerva McGonagall, turn to page three.
Harry stared in mounting horror and a bit of happiness as he read the article. He wondered how much of the article was true. Yes, he knew that the parts regarding the incident between the Headmaster and himself back on Halloween were true but illegally incarcerating members of society? He wondered who it was that Dumbledore threw into prison and why. Then he wondered if the illegal events regarding the charms and bindings on his magic as well as the illegal activities towards the Dursleys would get added to the case. Probably.
"Remus? Have you seen today's paper? It says Dumbledore was arrested and sacked!" he called out.
"WHAT?" Remus rushed over and grabbed the paper out of Harry's hand.
Quickly reading the article, Remus growled a bit at the news, "Serves him right, I hope he spends a long time in Azkaban."
"Do you think that part of 'incarcerated members of society' refers to Sirius Black?" Harry inquired hopefully.
Remus' hands shook slightly and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself, "I don't know, Harry. From what I'd learned, it was Sirius who betrayed your parents to Voldemort."
Harry shook his head, "According to my parents' Will, they had Sirius take something called the "Godfather Ritual," whatever that is."
Remus' head snapped up and he raised an eyebrow at Harry, "Are you sure?" Harry nodded, "Then…that would mean he never… and that he didn't… ohhhh, my head hurts." He slowly sank onto the couch and clenched his head in his hands and began quietly sobbing.
Harry ran to his room and grabbed his Potions kitbag and ran back to the kitchen. He poured a liberal dose of a mild Calming Draught into a cup of tea and handed it to Remus. After a moment or two, Remus was able to look up at Harry with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Harry. It's just a shock that Sirius might actually be innocent."
"What does the 'Godfather Ritual' mean?" Harry asked.
"It's a ritual that basically requires the person taking it to swear to protect the child with their life and magic. If Sirius had actually betrayed your family or you, he'd be dead as a result. His vow would've stopped his heart or burned out his magic in a horrific way."
"Wow, that sounds brutal," commented Harry, "So, since it was recorded that he took part in this ritual, we can safely assume that he's innocent?" Remus nodded morosely.
"Yes, Harry. It does and now we need to contact the Ministry and have someone in the DMLE to get Sirius released from prison."
"Oh, I've already spoken to Amelia Bones. She's the Director of the department. She's told me that she's investigating the case and will get back to me as soon as possible."
Remus took a deep breath and slowly released it. The knowledge that Sirius could be released soon was invigorating and relieving as well.
"Harry, would you please tell me about the incidents regarding the Headmaster's actions to you?" Remus asked curiously, "It sounds like there's more to this story than what the papers alluded to."
Harry nodded, "Yeah, it started with my sorting into Hufflepuff. I caught a glimpse of his face after the Sorting Hat called out his decision. It was a look of anger. It was a brief look but the anger behind those eyes terrified me." He then told Remus about what happened on Halloween and the aftermath as the result of it. He then informed Remus about the most recent stuff between Dumbledore and the Dursleys as well as the charms and bindings on his magic. He told him about the discoveries and results of what was contained in his scar and the eventual trip to the Department of Mysteries. Harry assured Remus that the Dark Magic that was residing behind the scar had been cleansed and was no longer a problem. Indeed the scar looked to be completely healed and only a thin line visible. Remus was shaking his head throughout the story thinking how the supposed 'Leader of the Light' could be so angry with Harry or stoop so low as to become so…Dark.
"I just don't understand why he needs to hold such animosity towards me," Harry wondered, "I mean, I've read about some other rising stars in other fields but I don't hate them for it. Heck, the Junior Veritiserum is the direct result of Hermione coming up with the question to ask me if there was a way to prove the Weasley Twins were lying! She even came up with several shortcuts while we were brewing." He shook his head in exasperation.
"I'm sorry, Harry. There are some people who just can't handle their jealousy in the light of other people's innovation and creativity," said Remus.
They spent the rest of the day discussing Harry and Hermione's article that was published. Harry had a copy in his bag and showed it to Remus, who was greatly impressed. Harry also told him about the team of Aurors, cursebreakers and Unspeakables that accompanied Amelia to the castle in response to inquiries made about the rumors that the legendary Philosopher's Stone was being hidden in a room on the third floor corridor. He said that there was a rumor that all manner of creatures and traps were protecting it, like a Cerberus and a giant chess set.
Remus was shocked and rather upset that the Headmaster would even think that hiding something like that was appropriate in a school. He commented to Harry that it was rather suspicious for Dumbledore to do this on the same year that Harry was supposed to start at the school.
Later, as a way to get their minds off of the revelations, Remus and Harry exchanged Christmas gifts. Harry received a man's necklace that had a wolf, stag and a lily flower charms. Harry gifted Remus with a box of Benadryll and Potioneer's Assistant. He also demonstrated the Memory Sphere, the Teacher's Assistant and the Student's Helper orbs.
The day before Harry was scheduled to return to Hogwarts, Harry whipped a sizeable batch of the Nightlight paste and a small batch of the Slow-Release Pepper-up potion. When asked why he was doing that, Harry replied that Madam Pomfrey had requested both as she was getting low on her stock supply and it was his favorite way to relax. Remus watched with interest as Harry prepared his ingredients and brewing the recipes and could see that Harry knew what he was talking about and the apparent skill involved.
Remus picked up one vial, "Slow-Release Pepper-up? I've never heard of it before."
"Hmm? Oh… yeah, that's one of my creations. I originally read a treatise on it a couple of years ago about the different varieties of peppers used in the brewing of the normal recipe and how increasing or decreasing the heat of the pepper could alter the properties of the potion. Once I created the Assistant, I worked on testing those theories."
"And it works?" Remus asked.
Harry nodded, "Yeah, it does. Normally, a habanero chili pepper is used but what I've come up with is to use a jalapeno chili pepper instead and only half of the seeds… hmmm, I wonder if maybe I could use just the seeds as that's where the heat comes from?" He opened up a 'Modify Potion' tab and set about changing the ingredients, just adding the seeds and removing the flesh of the pepper. Once that was done, he ran the 'Test Potion' feature and read the results, "Let's see… ah! There's not much of a difference in quality. There's a slight reduction in the viscosity but nothing to be too upset about… interesting. What would happen if I were to use dried seeds?"
And so it went as Harry added or removed ingredients, experimenting without actual ingredients. Remus could only marvel at the sight and chuckle at Harry's commentary as he worked.