After finishing breakfast, Sirius showed Harry how to clean the dishes, which was essentially vanishing the mess and then the Scourgify charm for what remained. Sirius typically used nonverbal spells for these household chores, but knew that this was beyond Harry's ability ("But just for now, Pup!"), so Harry used verbal spells for both.
Then, after showers and dressing in casual robes (Harry found they were more comfortable than his muggle clothes), Sirius and Harry headed back to the lab to prepare the next potion.
"This one's a love potion, except it's only called that to make it sound more appealing," Sirius began. "It doesn't really create love in the drinker, just strong infatuation. When Remus told his mum about learning to make them for NEWTs, she thought it sounded like a date rape drug. To be honest, she wasn't entirely wrong. However, you will need to be able to prepare it when you sit your exam, so with that being said, we might as well get it over with," Sirius concluded.
After looking over the instructions, he set quill to paper and began making corrections. Once finished, Sirius sat down next to Harry and began to explain every change he made. "First, the potion calls for beetle eyes. Those will work well enough, but they're harder to mix with the luchagano plant. Better to use newt eyes. We'll buy extra when we stop by the apothecary when your official list comes in, since I'm sure there are books we didn't think to buy."
Harry nodded, peering at Sirius's notes. They were quite tidy, better than his own handwriting. He supposed that growing up in the wizarding world, and in a pure-blooded family, that sort of thing mattered. His own writing wasn't too bad, and certainly no worse than Ron's, but Sirius's was downright tidy.
"Says here you have to stir twenty-two times instead of twenty," he observed. "For 'reduced thickening'?"
"Yes. The texture is supposed to be rather thicker than most potions, but not like mud. All the same, you need to keep track, because if you stir too much, it becomes watery, and less potent. Not that we'll be using this one anyone, but..." Sirius trailed off, clearing expecting Harry to finish.
"I need to make it right for the exam," Harry finished. "Right."
"Good job. One hundred points for Gryffindor," Sirius added, teasingly.
Harry grinned, then read on. "I need to sprinkle the ongachic root over the potion in five second increments, instead of three."
"Correct. Similar to the stirring, you want to allow enough time for the root to settle before adding more," Sirius explained.
Harry frowned a bit. "Wait...do I count to five after I've finished sprinkling, or while I'm doing it?"
"After." Sirius turned and smiled at him. "Good catch."
Sirius scribbled this addendum onto the textbook.
After going over several more changes-far more than the two Sirius had used for the Draught of Living Death-Sirius clapped Harry on the shoulder and had him begin.
This potion was easily twice as difficult as the previous one, and not simply because of all the changes. Even with the directions transferred next to him, Harry felt his eyebrows form a near permanent scowl, and nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the bubbles nearly shot up against his face.
The end result was, while not unusable (had they wanted to use it), certainly inferior to his previous potion.
Sirius wasn't disappointed, though. He also didn't seem entirely surprised by Harry's difficulty.
"That was a very good first attempt, and we'll do it again until you feel more comfortable with it," he reassured him.
"We don't usually make the same potion twice in a row," Harry pointed out, with a sigh.
"Which is partly why Snape's a horrible teacher and your NEWT class likely won't have half as many students as your others, even if everyone who receives an E decides to take it," Sirius pointed out, reasonably. "Besides, your other classes generally require extreme focus, but on one spell at a time. Here, you're building on a process." At Harry's dubious look, Sirius placed his hands on his shoulders. "I wouldn't try to mislead you, Harry. You're qualified to take this class, there's no doubt, but NEWT classes are far more difficult than your previous ones, and Potions is the hardest of the ones you will be taking. Having said that, you're doing fine so far."
Harry had to smile. "I guess I figured with you helping me..."
"You'd receive all of my genius overnight?" Sirius teased, tousling his hair. "Doesn't quite work like that, pup. Takes at least a week."
Harry laughed at this, and felt his remaining annoyance at himself dissipate.
"'Suppose," he said, as the idea suddenly occurred to him, "I look over the instructions that you write out a couple of times before attempting it?"
"That's not a bad idea," Sirius agreed. "Slughorn never told us which of the potions we would be preparing in advance, so we all ended up studying all of the ones in the chapter, and experimenting on our own for better ways. I don't suppose Snape ever told you in advance?"
Harry shook his head. "Just told us the day of, and wrote out the instructions."
Sirius's brow furrowed. "Odd that he didn't just have you use your book. Did anyone ask him?"
"I don't think even the Slytherins were that brave," Harry quipped, earning him another tousle of the hair.
"Fair enough, pup. All right, let's say we eat, and then begin working on nonverbal spells afterwards? If the Pensieve arrives today, we can spend part of the afternoon or evening looking at my old memories, if you like," Sirius offered.
"Sure, I'd really like that!"
So, they set off for lunch, which consisted of a delicious bean soup and a large slice of chocolate cake apiece.
"You'll need your strength," Sirius teased, setting Harry's larger slice on his plate.
As they were eating their cake, Fawkes popped into the house with the Pensieve, which he lowered to the floor of the sitting room, per Sirius's instructions. After finishing the last crumbs of cake, Sirius and Harry headed to one of the private study rooms which Harry had yet to see, although, as Sirius had said the day they'd arrived, it would take almost a full day to see every room Grimmauld Place included, and that wasn't including the secret passages. It wasn't quite as large as Hogwarts, according to Sirius, but it was at least half its size.
"My dead old dad was probably still adding rooms on his deathbed," Sirius had noted the first day, upon seeing a new wing he was sure hadn't existed. "Never mind it wasn't as though the entire Black family tapestry couldn't easily inhabit their own wing. Even the ones who had been removed."
Now, Harry and Sirius stood, wands in hand, facing each other across a large room. Sirius had banished the ostentatious table to a wall, even though it only took up about half the perimeter of the room. Harry rather suspected that he was enjoying getting to throw furniture around, and didn't blame him in the least.
"When you begin lessons, unless teaching has changed in the twenty or so years since I've attended," Sirius began, "your teachers will start you off with nonverbal spells at the same level of difficulty you would have used for verbal ones. Any idea why this is total rubbish?"
"Because it's twice as hard, what with figuring out a new spell and trying to do it without saying it aloud?" Harry guessed.
Sirius nodded, started to speak, and then stopped. "I'm getting ahead of myself. First off, do you know why nonverbal spells can be more effective than verbal ones? Specifically, in a duel setting?"
Harry frowned a bit. "Er, unless my opponent is skilled at legilimency, he won't know what spell I'm about to use, and will have a harder time blocking it?"
"Even better definition than the one from 'The Standard Book of Spells,'" Sirius praised. "Exactly. There are only so many spells most witches and wizards know for dueling, and most of them are unique in how they begin. If you have to speak them, they'll have many a second or so to prepare, and block them-or prepare a counter curse. But, if you only use non verbal spells, you have the advantage. Not to mention," he added, with a bit of a grin, "it spooks them to not have any idea what's coming at them, and even if they are trained in non verbal spells, they'll be on edge the whole time."
"I have a question," Harry added, remembering something Madam Pomfrey had said.
"Sure, what's that?" Sirius asked, with an encouraging nod.
"After we'd returned from the Department of Mysteries, Madam Pomfrey had said that the damage Hermione suffered from the Death Eater's curse-Dolohov, maybe-was less severe than it could have been because it wasn't said out loud. Does that mean that non verbal spells are less effective?" Harry wondered.
Sirius frowned a bit. "Not necessarily. You have to concentrate more, at least in the beginning, so they're potentially less potent at that point. Once you get used to them, they're every bit as powerful as spoken ones. Could be the Death Eater didn't have much training in that, or he was too focused on fighting others to put his full focus on cursing Hermione. But, just thinking a spell rather than saying it doesn't render it less effective."
Harry nodded, then thought of something else. "Can all verbal spells, er, become non verbal ones?"
"Yes, but the reverse isn't true. Some spells are specifically non verbal, and will be utterly useless if spoken. They're a bit rare, but they exist. Also, sometimes it's easier to speak the spells over putting in the extra concentration to say them silently," Sirius replied. "Now, are you ready to get started?"
Harry didn't feel ready, but he reckoned he was safer with Sirius than one of his classmates. He nodded once more.
"For now, we're going to start with really simple spells. I want you to light up your wand." Sirius crossed over to behind Harry, and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Concentrate on the words. Well, word, in this case. Focus your attention on the word 'lumos' and hold your want straight."
Harry did as Sirius instructed, but without any result.
"Once more," Sirius said, keeping his hands on Harry's shoulders.
"Do I, er, imagine it lighting up?" Harry asked.
"No," Sirius answered, simply. "Not for non verbal spells. Focus on the word."
Harry tried with all his might. He could feel his brows hurt, they were narrowed so hard. This time, there was a flicker of light before the wand returned to normal.
"Better. Try once more, pup."
Harry exhaled, then focused again. He could feel the start of sweat on his forehead.
There was a bit more light this time, and it lasted for a couple of seconds, but it went out before Harry intended.
Sirius moved to face Harry, and for a brief moment, Harry was afraid his godfather was going to strike him. Never mind that he'd never so much as threatened that.
Perhaps Sirius saw the fear in his eyes, because he placed his hands on his shoulders again, drawing Harry to him.
"I feel like a total idiot," Harry admitted.
"You're not. It's just hard at first," he said, softly. "I forgot just how difficult."
"You're sure I'm just...not any good at it?"
Sirius shook his head. "It gets easier, and you're making progress. Just keep focusing." Sirius paused, then added, "Well, first, take a deep breath, and as you breathe out, imagine the word in your head. Only the word, though. Let it fill your head."
Harry nodded, then inhaled and exhaled. He imagined the word in his mind, just as Sirius bid him.
His wand lit up fully, and remained like that until Harry lost focus. Which was after about five seconds, but it was still a considerable improvement.
Sirius grinned broadly and clapped him on the back. "Great job, pup! Knew you could do it!"
Harry beamed, then tried again. He managed for a full ten seconds, this time.
"Want to try something a bit more difficult?" Sirius asked, still smiling proudly.
Harry nodded. "Sure!"
Next, Sirius had him use the Ventus charm, which was also a second year spell that produced a gust of wind. Harry's wind felt more like a small breeze after the first two attempts, but by the third, it was palpable, and after the fifth, it was a genuine gust of wind.
They went onto unlocking a door, which was technically a first year spell but Sirius thought it should be second year. That only took two attempts, perhaps because it didn't require as much focus to maintain.
"Since you have a knack for summoning, what d'you say we skip to that?" Sirius suggested, and Harry agreed.
They started with small objects nearby-golden quills-which Harry nearly managed on the first try. He advanced to books before Sirius decided to end the lesson for the day.
"You're pale as a ghost, pup. I've been working you too hard-I'm sorry," he said, after Harry nearly fell to the floor.
"It's okay. I'm glad I'm learning all of this, really!" Harry insisted.
Sirius performed a feather light charm (non verbally, Harry noted) and scooped him up in his arms.
"You're doing great, and I admire your work ethic, but you need to know your limits," Sirius chided. "If you work yourself to exhaustion, you'll do far more harm than good."
Harry was aware of Sirius carrying him back to the sitting room, then placing him back on the couch.
"I want you to rest up for a bit. No more lessons for the rest of the day. Tonight, I'll show you some of my memories from Hogwarts," Sirius promised, as he tucked Harry under the blankets, his head on his lap.
He began running a hand through his hair.
Harry didn't protest, in part because he didn't think he could manage another non verbal spell.
Or walk across the room.
Besides, it felt so nice, with Sirius stroking his hair like that.
"Stay with me a bit?" he mumbled.
"I will," his godfather promised, his voice gentle. After a moment, he added, "Love you, Harry."
He felt a small smile form on his face.
"Love you too, Sirius."
A/N: It seemed strange to me that, even though non verbal spells were accepted as more difficult than verbal ones, the professors didn't have the students start over from the beginning, or at least with easier spells, before they got the hang of it. Sirius, being a decent teacher, uses this approach with better results.
It's my head canon that the Blacks are not only RICH, but showy. As shown by the bedrooms and bathrooms being extremely large. It's not just Sirius's childhood home, but the Black ancestral home. Which means that each new generation must make additions to it, to show how wealthy and powerful they are. What the Order and Harry and Sirius use is a small fraction of the entire house.
Next up...Harry and Sirius try non verbal magic, and Sirius shows Harry a memory from his childhood.
