After five years of dealing with the wizarding world it had never been so apparent that Harry had taken so many things for granted. While Ron and the Weasleys had addressed things as Harry encountered them, Neville and Sirius made a point of explaining everything that they knew about magical society. Ginny would often impart a different vantage but did little to add anything else to the conversation. Fred and George were just too busy to be of use as they focused on opening their shop, and Percy only stopped by for the occasional meal as he had found a flat to share with some of his co-workers and former classmates last year when he'd turned against his family.
July flew by as Harry learned more about the wizarding society under the tutelage of Sirius and Lupin with Neville and Ginny providing him with different perspectives. They went over things as minor as the Floo network to who controlled the financial system, treatment of house elves, treatment of non-human species, and which species wizards could mate/breed with. Add in the training in dueling that the three teens received from the various members of the Order as they stopped in though it fell mostly on Sirius and Molly, and the three often went to bed exhausted.
Neville could never replace Ron, but he was a suitable companion and a good listener, something that Ron wasn't the best at. Ron was quick to anger, brash, and outspoken while Neville was mild-mannered, considerate, and tactful.
"I can't believe it!" the Weasley matriarch exclaimed.
Ron would have burst into the kitchen demanding to know what had happened, but he was no longer there. Neville on the other turned to the radio and held up his hand for silence as the others were focused on the news report being broadcast over.
"reports are still coming in from Diagon Alley! Some are claiming anywhere from half a dozen to a full score of Death Eaters were spotted in Diagon Alley. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour has been burned to the ground, Olivander's Wands was sacked and the famous wand maker is reported to have been abducted, and Gringotts was attacked but the Death Eaters were repelled by the bank's security forces.
"No report on casualties yet, but I have received several reports that Florean Fortescue was killed after he confronted several Death Eaters. The dark wizards and witches apparated directly into Diagon Alley where they appear to have focused on Olivander's but several citizens and ministry officials on hand intervened resulting in a running battle."
"I can't believe they had the audacity to strike in the middle of the day," Ginny said as she turned to see her mother's now infamous family clock. It was little help that each of the remaining hands indicated that the family members were facing imminent danger ever since Harry had arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place. The news was not comforting in the least as Fred and George were at their shop which had yet to open on Diagon Alley.
Sirius gave a somber nod, "Thus far they've limited themselves to isolated strikes against obvious targets like members of the Order or ministry officials who are investigating the Death Eaters' families. Attacking and abducting Olivander disrupts wizarding society as well as limiting where these who stand against them can get wands. Olivander isn't the only wandmaker in England, but he is noted as being the best and most knowledgeable."
The rest of that afternoon was spent listening to the various reports that came in, though Molly and Ginny occasionally glanced at the enchanted clock.
Harry couldn't help but wonder if Molly had been before the clock the night that the six teens had snuck into the Ministry of Magic. Had she seen the hands go from "School" to "Imminent Danger" and then seen Ron's vanish once he died?
A slight nudge broke him from his dreary thoughts. "Why don't we get some practice?" It was surprising that it had been Neville who had suggested it rather than Sirius.
The second study had long been cleared out thanks to Kreacher and Ozzy, giving the teens plenty of room to practice various wards and charms to fortify the room that they were to practice dueling in. The walls were marked with scorches and blast marks from various deflected jinxes and hexes though the two elves worked diligently to repair and restore the room and the furniture inside.
With the elves having discovered another nest of pixies the teens were given some practice dodging and throwing up shielding spells as they avoided being bombarded by whatever the pixies had managed to get their hands on. Aside from picking up trash the pixies helped keep the number of doxies down as they fed off of the poisonous creatures. Sirius was actually glad to have a small colony of pixies in his house though the owls weren't happy with the sudden decrease in their usual prey.
While most viewed the magical creatures as pests, Remus and Neville had shown Harry that the creatures were an important part of the eco-system. Simply eliminating the creatures was not viable as that left the creatures that they preyed upon without any natural predators, thus allowing those creatures to flourish. It was something he'd failed to consider while staying with the Weasleys.
There was even an entire department in the Ministry that focused on managing and maintaining magical creatures, though not all of their positions were as impressive as the dragon handlers. Pixies and fairies were considered garden variety magical creatures – creatures that infested gardens/woods that surrounded magical residences. They were supposed to be the responsibility of these who lived close to them thus the Weasley family were responsible for the garden gnomes as well as the magical pests that they hunted.
There were different regulations based on a combination of factors from size, nesting habitats, how close they were to muggle populations and cities, how dangerous they were, mating habits, and how quickly they reproduced. Dragons were the most dangerous of the creatures but were not as populous as they had once been in the isles. Most had been relocated to Norway where there was much more land away from muggles.
It was no surprise that most of the regulated creatures had been relocated to the lands around Hogwarts. A good portion of Hogsmead's business revolved around the magical creatures that resided in the hills, lake, and forest. Various parts or even items horded by the creatures could be used as ingredients for spells, potions, poisons, and in alchemy rituals meant that there were many different jobs available for those willing to do them.
Eyeing the posse of pixies as they retreated to their nests Harry hoped that their training would pay off the next time they encountered Death Eaters. The exercise was about improving the teens' reflexes and getting them to cast spells quickly and wordlessly, something that they were likely to learn in the coming year.
"Harry, Neville," Lupin's voice drew their attention to the figure in the doorway.
"Professor," Neville returned with a nod.
"Remus," Harry said with a grin.
"There's no need to address me that way Neville, please, just call me Lupin," the werewolf said with a sly smile. "I see that you're both ignoring the Ministry decree against underage magic."
"It's not the first time we've gone against what the Ministry's told us," Neville shrugged.
"You've grown since the last I saw you," Lupin admitted as he shook the taller boy's hand. "You have your father's sharp eyes and build, but your mother's cheeks and ears. I should warn you now the girls will be lined up to get their hands on you, both of you."
Had they both not respected the man before them the two teens would have rebuffed his assertion.
"I may not have gone through the lists as your respective fathers did, but I was around them both enough to know that they were both popular amongst the witches while they were in Hogwarts."
Harry wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that. He knew that his father and mother had not started dating until their sixth year but had always been popular.
"I remember Frank would always have to check up on us in our dorm even after I'd been made Prefect. The other boys in our year were always complaining that we'd done something or other to their room."
"You didn't share a dorm with all the boys in your year?" Harry found himself asking.
"Oh no, there were too many of us to fit into a single dorm room," Remus replied. "It's not like it is with your year. Before the war there were many more students attending Hogwarts, but with so many young families on both sides, well, it would take at least a generation if not two before Hogwarts is filled as it was in our day.
"It does not help that most of the old pureblood families stop having children once they have an heir."
"I don't know that I'd want to deal with another Malfoy, much less another Crabbe or Goyle," Ginny muttered as she joined the trio. "I'm just glad there aren't that many snakes."
"Why do they stop once they have an heir?" he could not help but consider how out of touch he seemed to sound as he heard the words come out of his mouth.
"There's a reason why the old families manage to accumulate so much wealth," the tiny redhead replied. "Rather than splitting their wealth amongst several children they pass their wealth down to an heir. Some of them stop after securing a male heir. I'm sure if Draco had been born a girl his parents would have continued to spawn more children until they finally had an heir."
"But Sirius had a brother," Harry countered.
"Not all families believed in that system; some believed that the best way to ensure pureblood legacies was to have more children," Lupin added. "Some were married off; some were given a portion of the family's wealth. It also ensured that their bloodlines or names would not die off easily."
"If Draco were to suddenly drop dead then who would carry on the Malfoy name?" Ginny volunteered. "Sure, his parents might be able to produce another spawn, but it's no guarantee."
Harry shuddered, "I don't want to think about them trying to reproduce."
Ginny and Remus chuckled, though Neville waved his wand, repairing a scorched book.
"I can't believe you started without me!" both boys avoided looking at Ginny, unsure what to say. Though she was the youngest of the Weasleys she was far from the weakest. Even the twins dared not draw her wraith as she proved to the DA and some Death Eaters that she was not the meek little girl she appeared to be.
"I'd rather not have my ego bruised," Neville finally said with a shrug. "I'm just breaking in a new wand; you've had your wand for five years now."
Tall as he was even Neville backed down to Ginny. Still, he made a valid point.
"I got it once we got to London, right after gran and I left King's Cross," Neville stated. "It's a good thing we didn't wait to go – I can't imagine where the new students are going to go to purchase a wand."
"There's wand shop in Hogsmead," Lupin remarked. "She's had her shop since the end of the last war, but with almost everyone going to Olivander only a few know about her shop."
"So how did you come by it then?" Again it was Harry asking the obvious.
Lupin gave a shy smile, "Olivander's wands are very expensive, but well worth it. Still, he uses only the standard cores – unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, and dragon heartstring. The witch in Hogsmead specializes in unicorn hair, though she also uses items from other magical creatures that can be found around Hogwarts and Hogsmead.
"Moody introduced me to her. He insists on always having a back-up wand in case something happens to your primary wand. I've heard tell of aurors who needed a new wand after they were disarmed by their targets. They say that their old wands won't work right for them, especially against the target that bested them.
"Professor Flitwick says he's seen as much after the various duels he's participated in. The loser usually surrenders their wand because they know that the wand never works right for them again. It's also why dueling gets to be rather expensive as one can burn through wands if one is unable to emerge victorious. If you ever get to see Professor Flitwick's office you'll see the wands that he's won from his past duels when he was once an accomplished duelist.
"It's one thing to disarm someone while practicing, but to actually best them in a duel is another thing altogether. Why do you think Hogwarts does not allow dueling? Because it would be difficult for students to acquire another wand quickly and that could affect their performance in their classes. Imagine not having a wand for charms or transfiguration or having one that no longer works for you?"
Harry did not have to imagine that scenario as he had witnessed how Ron had struggled back in their second year after Ron's wand had broken. It still hurt knowing that Ron was physically gone, but he still had plenty of good memories of his departed friend.
The atmosphere about 12 Grimmauld Place was heavy with grief that even the usually cheerful Weasleys clan could not hide. Fred and George's playful pranks failed to lighten the mood forcing the twins instead to focus on the grand opening of their shop. The attack on Diagon Alley served to add fuel to the pressures that they as businessmen were facing with their start up business.
Molly threw herself into repairing her relationship with Percy whom she visited at his flat or at the Leaky Cauldron. Arthur busied himself with work for the Order and the Ministry, trying not to draw more attention from the fanatical remnants of Fudge's administration.
With his name now cleared Sirius was busy reclaiming the Black properties and moneys owed. It was a task all the harder because of the fact that the Malfoys had hidden the majority of their funds which were not held in Gringotts well. With a team of goblins assisting him Sirius faced a daunting wall of red tape though all he spoke of at dinner was Lucius Malfoy's trial or the trials of the other captured Death Eaters.
Pigwidgeon's irregular absences were not due to the fact that the once hyperactive owl was off grieving but because the tiny bird had taken to delivering messages for Ginny. The youngest Weasley had spoken to Neville once since his arrival and expressed her frustration with Kreacher, the Black family house elf, whom had betrayed his master and ultimately had provided Harry with the false information that had led the teens to the Ministry of Magic.
Sirius, along with several Weasleys, had wanted to execute the elf, but Professor Dumbledore had insisted that while Kreacher's actions were grave, it had come as a result of Sirius' inability to properly handle the elf. Simply killing the elf would make it a martyr and perhaps make it harder for the Order to enlist the aid of the elves and other creatures that were mistreated by the wizards.
Rather than focusing on the elf though Sirius simply ordered Kreacher to follow Neville's orders, thus placing him in a hard position with Ginny. Though he had been able to improve Kreacher's disposition there was little he could do to change the way the Weasleys viewed the elf. His initial strategy was to have Kreacher be as helpful to them as possible though only Fred and George were willing to take him up on that offer. Eventually Neville had been forced to keep Kreacher out of their way and focus on restoring the building so that the rest of the building was inhabitable.
There were now enough rooms so that each of the current occupants could claim their own room, though Harry insisted on sharing a room with Neville and the twins refused to sleep in separate rooms. Ginny and Hermione were of the same mind as well, leaving another room vacant and unused.
One of the benefits was that he was able to create a greenhouse on the top floor by removing a portion of the roof and replacing it with enchanted glass. The owls were able to roost there but the hippogriff was still relegated to the former master bedroom. Still, the greenhouse was nice as it allowed Neville to escape the house without actually leaving the building.
"This is nice," Hermione's voice stated from the door. "How"
"The twins," he quickly answered knowing her question before she had been able to completely voice it. "They require certain regulated substances for their products. Unfortunately with the Ministry cracking down they were forced to acquire those substances through other channels."
"And you're one of those channels now?" she asked, her hands on her hips in her usual disapproving manner.
"They supply me with some plants that I can't normally get myself and I help supply them with ingredients for their business," he replied. "Officially they are purchasing from the Longbottom apothecary supply; this is merely a greenhouse for my personal use."
"And because the building is protected by the Fidelius Charm ministry official can inspect it," the bushy haired girl surmised.
"That's not true," Neville interjected as he tenderly misted another plant, "Dumbledore, with Sirius' blessing, could give someone permission to enter the premises, and several ministry workers frequent the building on a daily basis."
Even without looking at her he knew that she still had a disapproving look. The mandrakes that he was caring for were indeed deadly, though they had learned to handle the plants back in their second year. It helped that Kreacher and Ozzy were regularly casting silencing charms on the plants and the greenhouse though he also checked the charms to ensure his own safety.
"You've changed," Hermione's voice interrupted from the doorway.
Giving one last spray of mist to the plant before he turned around he gave her a moment to take in the enchanted room.
"Are those"
"Yes," he interrupted knowing that she'd have serious reservations about the mandrakes and other dangerous plants he was tending to.
"You're growing those for the twins, aren't you?"
"They're purchasing from the Longbottom Apothicary," Neville replied. "There are merely samples I've grown for testing to ensure the quality of the ingredients."
Hermione shook her head, "You have changed."
"Can you honestly say that you haven't? After all that happened in the Ministry of Magic? Even Dean and Seamus have changed and they weren't even there."
He watched as she tried to pull her thoughts together into a coherent string. It was strange to see her so flustered, but he understood why. Loathed as she was to admit it, she and Ron had a strange and horribly complicated relationship that had been cut far too short.
"We're at war," he stated. "As much as we may not want to admit it, we won't be able to go back to how things were before.
"Dumbledore may want us to help the others think that Hogwarts is a safe haven, and it is but we're not at Hogwarts right now."
They stood together in silence, neither sure what to say or do.
"He made you a Prefect," she muttered.
"Yeah," he sighed. Again their conversation stalled as neither was willing to bring up the fact that he was replacing Ron.
"Dean's father went missing while he was putting up protective charms and wards around their muggle neighborhood," he added quickly shifting the subject. "He was the only wizard in the area. His mum thinks that Hogwarts is still the safest option for him." The startled look on Hermione's face told him that she hadn't known. Then again, how could she as the incident hadn't even been covered in the Prophet. "We're at war – things are only going to get worse."