Alduin met Mercurius and his boyfriend in a café in Diagon Alley, and right off the bat he could see that Daniel Goldstein was eyeing him with a not too friendly look. Still, they managed to get through the basic introductory conversation without an incident, and now were moving to jobs and professional interests.

"I work as an external consultant for St. Mungo's in the mind-healing department," Daniel said, "that's how I met Mercurius. But in my free time, I'm actually interested in pure theory too, in the mysteries of mind and soul."

Alduin set up straighter in his chair. "Transcendental sciences? Truly?"

"Yes. Why the tone of surprise?"

"I don't know if Mercurius told you, but I'm a trascendental scientist myself, though I'm interested in time. I'm also part of a kind of club of afficionados of the discipline...I wonder how we managed to miss you?"

"I really couldn't say," the man replied a trifle coldly.

"What house were you in?"

"Slytherin."

"Ah, so that's why! I was sure a Ravenclaw transcendental couldn't have escaped our attention. And of course you don't work in the Department of Mysteries, so we wouldn't come across you in that way either...allow me to extend an invitation then. Just let me know if you're interested and I'll give you the particulars of the next meeting."

"I'll think about it," Daniel said in the same cold tone that indicated he had no interest in a club Alduin led.

The older man internally sighed. However much he loved his partner, Mercurius wasn't stupid and never let his heart speak over his mind entirely, so if he trusted Daniel, it meant he was trustworthy, and that in turn meant the unique opportunity to find the expertise they needed. If only the ghosts from his own past weren't in the way.

"I think you'd really like it," Mercurius said, noticing Alduin's reaction. "We have a Healers' club like this, too, and they are extremely interesting and useful."

Daniel only gave him a look, and Alduin did his best to change the topic afterwards. Once Daniel left for the bathroom, however, he turned to Mercurius and said: "I did have a bad feeling about telling him of our past, and look, here we are."

"I wasn't going to lie to him," his friend replied a little sharply.

"Then why insist he meets me?"

"You're my friend. Perhaps I wanted to show him that you aren't a heartless monster?"

"If you painted me like one..."

Mercurius frowned at him. "Daniel loves me very much," he said simply. "He is bound to be prejudiced."

And all that guilt was back again. "Yes, of course," Alduin said. "Forgive me. It's just frustrating for me right now, because he has precisely the expertise I'm looking for, and..."

Some unidentifiable expression passed through Mercurius' face, but it was gone before Alduin could begin to try and decipher it. "Surely you know plenty of other people who do this?" He asked then.

"Yes, but none I can fully trust."

Mercurius gave him a careful look. "I'll talk him out," he said then.

Daniel came back, and his partner, after smiling at him, said: "I was just trying to remember, Alduin, how did you end up entangled in the war efforts?"

Alduin gave him a look. I know what you're doing. He was pretty sure Daniel knew, too. Still, he answered. "My parents did," he said. "They didn't exactly drag me in, but they just raised me in a way that made it impossible not to be involved."

"Weren't you involved, too?" Daniel asked Mercurius.

"Not really, not beyond healing those who came to me from some encounter with Riddle's lackeys. My family was, of course – paid the price, too – but I was the heir. I was expected to keep to safety to ensure the family line doesn't die out. That's why I wondered about Alduin."

"It's because all the rest of your family fought," Alduin said. "Mine didn't. My parents were the only ones to be involved – well, and my uncle, of course – so no one expected...my grandfather was still young enough to produce a child with the help of magic, if it came down to it, so...there was less risk, and I felt I had to pull my weight. We had to...there had to be more of us on the right side than on the bad one."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked him.

Alduin gave him a long look. "My uncle," he said, "is in prison for murdering the McKinnons." Then he rose abruptly and went to the bathroom, wondering if Mercurius' plan had just spectacularly backfired.

-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-

Train ride home was always the time for summer plans. After last year's experience, the Gryffindors agreed to meet in Diagon Alley for Seamus' birthday outright, Harry promising to get Alduin's help to side-Apparate Dean and Sophie. "It's just so strange," he said. "My cousin knows your families better than I do!"

"Well, it's not like he stayed long," Dean commented. "He just gave them some assurances and a time by which I'd be back, and off we went."

"Yeah, but still. I've only ever greeted them at the platform."

"Are you angling for an invitation here, Harry?" Seamus asked, and Harry laughed.

He went to chat with Hermione for a while afterwards, getting her and Su to leave their compartment and step out with him to the corridor. "Won't you get out of practice if you don't beat Ron at chess the whole summer?" He asked her, and she laughed at him.

"Don't you know you can play chess by owl?" She asked.

"You really planning on doing that?"

"Sure. Like you said, I wouldn't want to get out of practice."

"Any other plans, then? Apart from chess matches?"

"I don't think Hermione is planning any chess matches," Su said with a snicker.

Hermione grimaced. "Anything but that. Well, anything but that and Quidditch. But I'm going to France with my parents for a month, so I'm really looking forward to that."

"Wow. Where are you going?" Harry asked, impressed and trying his best to remember the geography lessons he had with Alduin.

"Oh, many places – Brittany and the Loire Valley and Paris and then the Riviera for the last ten days. My father's been wanting to go there for a really long time, so I'm looking forward to it."

"When are you going? Will you be able to make it to my birthday party?"

"Yes! I convinced my parents I really wanted to go there, so we'll leave the day after tomorrow and come back just before your birthday."

"Oh, that's great! And you, Su?"

"I'll be staying in London, mostly. I'll try to convince my parents for a few weekend trips at least, but they aren't much into travelling, really. I'm afraid chess will be my only deliverance!"

Harry went to talk with the Slytherins, too, and they chatted about the upcoming parties. Pansy mentioned his birthday several times over, clearly in hopes of getting invited to the more private sort of party that was likely going to take place again this year. Harry privately shook his head at her. Did she really think a half-hearted apology like hers would be enough for that?

As he was leaving that compartment, Susan emerged from hers and nodded at him, clearly intending to head down the train. "We'll see each other at the party at your house, right?" She asked. The Traverses were throwing one for their wedding anniversary again.

"Sure. I hope Hannah, Ernie and Zach are coming too?"

Susan frowned. "Are you truly hoping Zach will be there?"

Harry grinned. "Okay, you got me, I couldn't care less either way in that case."

"Really? I'd have expected you'd hope he wouldn't come."

He shrugged. "There are so many people at the Travers garden parties," he said. "He just kinda dissolves in the crowd, you know? His effect is diluted." He grimaced. "It must be much worse in the common room."

Susan shrugged. "Well, I don't share a bedroom with him. It's crowded in the common room too. I think Ernie has much more reason to complain, though he minds less than you do, or even than me. But still, I think that's the reason Ernie became good friends with Justin so quickly. He just wanted someone else to talk to other than Zach."

"I can understand that!"

There was a short silence, then Susan asked: "How did you do on the exams? We never really talked."

Harry shrugged. "Oh, it was fine. Mostly like I expected. Better in History, in fact, but exactly as badly in Astronomy."

"Uh, don't even remind me," Susan muttered, rolling her eyes. "I still haven't discovered the point of that subject."

Harry privately agreed, but tried to be fair: "Some people find it interesting and fun. Theo is obsessed, I know."

Susan looked unconvinced. "Well, I find singing fun, and we aren't studying it. I mean, what's the use?"

"I have no idea, to be honest. But I'm sure my cousin would say that you shouldn't study things just because they're useful. I mean, I love history – not the way Binns teaches it, mind you – and it's not really practical either."

"History, I can see the point of, I guess," Susan said. "I mean, it influences so many things today, it helps to understand them. But Astronomy...as an elective, maybe, but as a core subject?" She shook her head.

"So," Harry asked with a grin, beginning to think she was being just a bit too insistent on the subject, "did you pass that exam?"

Susan gave him an affronted look. "Of course I did," she said. "Now excuse me, I'm going to talk to Kiara."

"Tell her hello from me!" Harry called, still sniggering a little.

-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-

Harry was surprised to see Alexandra and Wynn waiting for him at the platform when the train arrived in London. Apparently, it was judged that the little boy was old enough for side-apparition already. Harry hurried to hug him and take him from Alduin's arms.

"I missed you," he muttered. "You've grown so much since April!"

"And wait till you see what he's learned!" Alexandra bent over her son and pointed at Harry. "Who is it, Wynn? Tell me, who is it?"

"'Awy!" The little boy said with enthusiasm. "'Awy, 'Awy!"

Harry almost melted on the spot.

He barely found time to vaguely wave goodbye to his friends, because he couldn't wait to finally be able to play with Wynn again. When they emerged from the apparition, however, Wynn was crying inconsolably.

"What happened?" Harry asked, worried Alexandra accidentally splinched him.

"He just doesn't like the feeling," Alduin explained.

"We try not to subject him to it too often," Alexandra added, "but given that he kept repeating your name for the last few days, it seemed appropriate to come and welcome you."

Harry immediately felt guilty. "You shouldn't have," he said. "I don't want Wynn to be uncomfortable."

"He'll have to get used to it in time," Alexandra pointed out.

"Can I go play with him?" Harry asked. "Maybe it'll cheer him up."

"It's almost dinnertime," Alduin pointed out.

"Please, at least for a while!"

"Very well, Harry, but really just a while. You don't want to disturb his schedule, do you?"

That worked on Harry, more than anything else, and he spent just a few minutes with his cousin before he went to get dressed for dinner.

He was amused to see that his cousins were now allowing Wynn to try and feed himself at the start of the meal before they began to spoon-feed him, even though it resulted in a very messy meal. "I suppose this is just when there are no visitors?" He asked.

"Or no formal visitors at least," Alexandra agreed. "Yes. But then, you know that during dinners proper, Wynn isn't present at all."

Harry only nodded. "So is he talking more now?" He asked. He hasn't witnessed much beyond his name yet.

"Not that much more," Alduin replied. "Your name was the fifth word he learned to say, after 'mama,' 'dada,' 'Litty' and 'no'."

"Seriously?" Harry asked, even more excited now, and at Alexandra's nod, turned to his little cousin.

"For that," he said, "I'll spend the entirety of tomorrow playing with you."

He did, and most of the days that followed, too. Wynn learned so many new things in the few months Harry hadn't seen him, and he wanted to witness them all. He also felt like his cousins couldn't be trusted with letting Wynn play with his toy broom properly, and he was there to remedy that.

The third day of the break, Alduin told him that if he was going to spend so much time with Wynn, he could just as well help with developing his skills. Harry enthusiastically agreed, and so Alduin explained what was needed. Wynn's walk was still a little shaky, so he needed to practice. As a result, Harry was now spending his days by waiting several steps away from Wynn with his arms outstretched as the toddler wobbled towards him while shouting "'Awy! 'Awy!"

In fact, the wedding anniversary party was the first thing to break the habit of soending most of his day with Wynn. It was great as usual, even though it was rather cold outside. It was still sun, though, and no rain, which was enough for everyone to be happy. Harry latched onto Abdulaziz almost as soon as he saw him. "So, Mr. Hogwarts's-just-around-the-corner," he said, "how are you feeling?"

"Like I can't wait for the summer to be over," Abdulaziz replied with a bright grin, then added with en eyeroll, "which is just stupid, because I like summer...but I'm really looking forward to Hogwarts, plus one of the reasons I like summer is being able to see all those people I can't during the year, but I'll be able to now, won't I?"

"Don't rely on it too much," Harry replied. "It's actually kinda hard to make time even for people from different years, let alone different houses. Everyone just tends to spend most of their time with their classmates...I hardly ever talk to Kiara beyond basic greetings."

Alduin frowned. "But why?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno...I think it's just that you form so close friendships with the people in your class, and you spend so much time together and share so much, it just feels natural to mostly talk to them even when you're in the common room. I guess it's different for siblings, but..."

"So, are you just gently preparing me for cutting me once we're at Hogwarts?"

Harry grinned. "Not quite, though it might happen that we won't be able to talk much. But I trust Ravenclaw will fully occupy you."

"Ah! I can't wait!"

Kiara joined them in that moment, and greeted Abdulaziz enthusiastically.

"Harry was just confessing to me that he neglects you at school," Abdulaziz told her.

"Or do I neglect him?" She asked. "It's true we probably talk more outside Hogwarts, which is funny."

"Yeah, thus the Traverses were able to berate me for not telling them your brother broke up with his girlfriend. How is he, by the way?"

"Oh, he's fine. He's actually back to being a normal person, which, let me tell you, I really appreciate."

"It's you who's fourteen now," Harry pointed out. "Shouldn't you be acting weird? Should you be talking to us at all?"

"Oh my, you're right!" She cried out in mock astonishment. "You're alright, I guess, but Abdulaziz! I'll get baby cooties from him!"

Just in that moment, Ginny and Harriet wandered over with Gamila, and Kiara let out a horrified shriek, leading to a confused look from the girls. "The fourteen-year old illness," Harry told them in a stage whisper.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Ginny replied. "It's coming for you as well."

"Tss. I'm not even thirteen yet, I'll have you know. I'm safe."

"Oh no! Baby cooties!" Kiara exclaimed and ran away, to raucous laughter of the others.