All of the sixth year NEWT students who had studied up on the latest lesson in their copy of Advanced Potion-Making had the air of grimness and worry about them not dissimilar to when they had begun taking their OWL exams last spring. It was so tangible, at least with Harry and his friends, that Snape actually made a comment about it before beginning his lesson.

"I hadn't planned to give a test today, but perhaps I ought to, as you seem to anticipate it," he said, walking around the room swiftly, his robes billowing out from behind him. "What is the matter with you?"

As expected, Hermione raised her hand, and as Harry could have predicted, Snape intentionally looked around the entire class before addressing her to speak.

"Professor, we're beginning the unit on Golpalott's Third Law," she answered, with only the slightest tremor in her voice.

"Ah," Snape responded, and his lips twitched. "Well, rest assured that if one of your cauldrons blows up-" Here, he looked directly at Neville, who stared right back at him without flinching. "-Professor Slughorn will be most qualified to handle it. He was teaching Potions when I was a student, and far before then. Rest assured, he can handle any mistakes from those he was foolish enough to let into his class who were not equipped for the work. Now," he added, briskly, "open your textbooks to page three hundred and twenty-two."

It was, Harry thought, a rather mild response from the (former?) Potions master. He certainly hadn't expected Snape to reassure them, and no doubt, they hadn't been worried about damaging the dungeon with an ill-produced potion, but he could have said far worse. Also, he'd only indirectly insulted Neville, which was almost kind of him.

The lesson was certainly easier than Slughorn's was likely to be. Harry wondered if Snape had changed his lesson plan in lieu of this, but cast the thought aside. Few teachers would have been that conciliatory, and Snape, if anything, would have worked to make the lesson more difficult.

He set them the same mountain of homework as usual to complete, and, as usual, Harry and Ron began making their way through it while Hermione went to her Arithmancy class. Harry would like liked to spend more time reviewing Sirius' notes, but Ron pointed out that another hour or so wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Anyway, it's not as though he'll be testing us on it. We're only beginning it, today," Ron pointed out, looking at his Defense textbook dubiously.

The class went rather better than Harry had expected. Slughorn asked for the definition of the law, which Hermione immediately gave at top speed, and then they set about to making the antidotes to the blended potions. It was hard work, harder than anything Harry had done before. Even though Ron and Hermione were seated right next to him, he didn't chance looking up at their work, because he knew that to do so would waste precious seconds. He could hear muttering swears under his breath, and caught a glimpse of Hermione cutting off a piece of her hair to put into her potion. By the time Slughorn called, "Time's up!" his own potion had become a shade of light green, nearly mirroring Hermione's. Hermione was still trying to add ingredients into her vial before Slughorn came to her, although Harry couldn't see any visible difference to the appearance or consistency of her potion. Turning to Ron's, he could see that his best friend's product was darker green, and looked rather thicker, but it didn't smell nearly as bad as some of the others in the room.

Slughorn went from student to student, examining their antidotes with more tact than Snape would have done. No one had entirely completed the antidote, but based on how far they'd gotten, few had made the type of progress Slughorn would have expected.

He beamed when he came to their table, though.

"Quite good for a first attempt!" he told Ron. "Five points to Gryffindor." Examining Harry and Hermione's, his grin widened. "Ah, now, that's nearly perfect work. It wouldn't be entirely effective as an antidote as it is, but it certainly wouldn't kill anybody," he said, with a laugh. "Ten points each to Gryffindor, and the three of you may each receive a pass for handing in the next homework assignment."

The homework assignment, a twenty-five inch essay on the intricacies of Golpalott's Third Law, would have taken several hours to complete. Harry felt another surge of gratitude towards Sirius.

Hermione, he noted, did not insist on completing the assignment, so she must be feeling the work load (and pending project about snake transfiguration) more than usual.

They returned to the Gryffindor tower in high spirits that afternoon.

"Just a couple more weeks until we begin our Apparition lessons, eh?" Ron commented, as they enjoyed a rare free afternoon.

They'd decided to celebrate their good fortune with a game of Exploding Snap, and had even convinced Hermione to join in.

"I just hope it gets a big warmer outside by then," Hermione remarked, as she shuffled the deck.

It had been exceptionally chilly since their visit to Hogsmeade the previous October. Even with charms to keep their clothes warm, Harry wished that spring would hurry up and arrive.

"Hope our next visit to Hogsmeade is warmer than the last one," he said, rather dubiously. "Whenever they have it, anyway."

"They posted a notice that it's in March," Hermione offered.

"Yeah, it's on my birthday." Ron grinned. "Good luck, that. Maybe, I will be able to pass the test and Apparate there!"

"Ron, you can't Apparate-"

"Inside or outside of Hogwarts, I know. But the test won't likely be at Hogwarts, will it?" he asked. "Anyway, it can't be too hard, as the twins managed without much difficulty. Percy had to take it a second time, though."

His face soured, the way it always did whenever he mentioned his older brother.

"You'll take the test with Ron, right, Hermione?" Harry asked quickly, turning to his other friend.

"Yes, I expect so," Hermione agreed. "Shame you have to wait awhile before you can take yours."

Harry just shrugged. "I prefer flying, even if it's slower."

"What about Portkeys?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged again. He hadn't used one since that night in the graveyard, and they were only slightly less awful than side along Apparition. If he had to choose between the two, though, he would probably pick the latter. At least that didn't have the awful association with Voldemort rising to power...

Perhaps the others guessed this, because they began to talk enthusiastically about Hogsmeade and what other new treats might have been developed in the past months.

When he went to talk with Sirius that night, his godfather (after congratulating him about getting through the blended potions class) brought up the Easter holidays.

"That's still months off," Harry pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

Easter holidays were never exactly fun, as the teachers always loaded them up with tons of homework, and Harry was sure this year would be no different. He wouldn't have expected to be working harder than he had for the OWLs, but he was, or at least just as hard. He'd take spending all day doing homework with his godfather keeping him company over his other classmates, of course, but it was hardly something to look forward to.

"Yes, but I will need to make preparations if you're in agreement," Sirius explained, giving Harry a mysterious smile. "What would you say about spending the holidays at a beach cottage I inherited from my uncle?"

Harry smiled, then his expression turned somber. "It sounds great, but I'll be spending the whole holiday doing work. Maybe, it would be better to stay at your house."

"A change of environment can do wonders, pup, and you finished your homework for the Christmas holidays in a few days, don't forget," Sirius reminded him.

"Well, all right," Harry relented, letting himself smile again. "Have you been to it recently?"

"Not since right before your parents died. My uncle had died a couple of years before they got married-I rather think he was poisoned, but there was no test to check for it-and, in addition to a good deal of his gold, he gave me his beach cottage. He called it Black Cottage, and I only visited there a few times, but it was very comfortable. Not as ostentatious as Grimmauld Place, as you'll have to cope with only one sink in most of the bathrooms," he said, with a chuckle, "but more than roomy enough for a family or group of friends. I'll go beforehand to perform some cleaning spells and security charms, which will be a breeze compared to the work you all put into Grimmauld Place."

"Maybe Dobby could help," Harry suggested.

"Well, I'll see how much work is needed, first," Sirius answered, with a chuckle. "I take it that I managed to convince you?"

"Sure," Harry said. "I've never been to the beach, you know."

Sirius looked grim, but not entirely surprised. "We'll have to make time to walk around the ocean, at least."

Harry nodded, and they said goodnight shortly afterwards. Harry curled up under the covers, Tuxy nestled against his side, and fell into an easy and sound sleep.

Next up: Harry learns more about wizarding politics.

Author's note:

I posted this on "Harry's Adoption" but if you're not following that, I figured it would be sensible to post it here.

I'm having more luck with some stories than others, so I'm going to try to update either "Harry's Adoption" or this work at least once a week. With that being said, I don't want to promise to update each work alternate weeks, because I don't know how well my writing process is going to go. I don't want to post a chapter without having written the next one (and I'm actually breaking my rule here, because the next chapter is only partially written) and have a good idea of where the story is going. So, you might see a few weeks of one fic before I update the other one.

Additionally, although my standard stories involve some sort of AU that develops the paternal relationship between Sirius and Harry, a plot bunny has invaded my brain in which Severus Snape is Sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. Without revealing any spoilers, I will say that his life improves considerably. I am having a lot of fun writing this, and have made a fair amount of progress over the last few days. Nearly nine full chapters are written in some stage or another, and three are posted.

If you feel so inclined to check it out, it's called "The Unlikely Gryffindor."

Thanks for your continued readership and feedback!