AN: Wanna give a grateful shoutout to the guest reviewer from last chapter. I'd honestly never considered Justin before your review but it's a great one.

My Way's the Fun Way

Chapter 5

-Harry-

Leg bouncing, Harry sat by himself in the Charms Classroom, having arrived early to be alone with his thoughts for a bit. A pair of earbuds were in his ears, music from the music player he'd gotten over the summer helping him drown out the thoughts in his head. Professor Dumbledore had told him about the letter's contents when he came back from the Ministry over the weekend, having sat Harry down with Snape, feeling he deserved to know.

He'd honestly spent the entirety of the next day curled up in his bed, refusing to face the world. He'd almost had a sister, a little sister he could have gotten to see grow up, to spend time with, to be a family with. But thanks to Voldemort, that chance was gone. A muffle voice shook him from his thoughts as he jerked up, taking the earbuds out as he noted a pair of Hufflepuffs had arrived for their shared class early as well.

"Sorry, what?" grimaced, feeling awkward at having not made out what they'd said due to the music.

"I asked how did you have that working?" the first year, he was pretty sure their name was Justin, was staring at the bit of Muggle Technology incredulously, "Electronics aren't supposed to work around Magic."

"They do if you know what you're doing." He grinned as Justin and the redhead he was sure was named Susan sat down at the three-person table with him, "I figured it out over the summer."

"What do I need to give you for that information?" Justin's expression was serious "Since my parents live in a Muggle area, I'm not allowed to send them letters very often, and I can't contact my old friends at all. If I could get a phone or computer working…"

"Hey, you saved me from having to risk having to sit with Malfoy." He made a face, silently admitting to himself that the company was helping drive away the funk he'd been letting himself wallow in whenever Dean and Hermione weren't around "So, fair's fair. The Ministry's 'study' into Muggle Electronics was bullshit. The damn things work, the idiots they put in charge of the 'study' just didn't know how to change a battery."

"What's a battery?" the redhead next to Justin blinked confused.

"Case in point." Harry smirked as the Hufflepuff girl pouted, "And batteries are a way to power Muggle Electronics. So, Justin, just get a solar charging pack for your phone or computer and you'd be good."

"Well, I know what I'm writing home for during lunch." Justin grinned eagerly, "Glad to see my Housemates were full of shit by the way. Not everyone in your house is a prick like that git Malfoy."

"Perish the thought." Harry made a disgusted face, "He's an insult to what the house of Slytherin is supposed to be."

"Supposed to be?" Justin and Susan tilted their heads as Harry smirked.

"Merlin was a Slytherin." Their jaws dropped as he delivered that little tidbit of trivia, "He was clever, he was ambitious, but he wasn't evil." As he spoke, he prepared for the approaching class period by getting out his notebook and pens, Justin looking amused at the sight of the muggle items. The trio devolved into simple conversation as the rest of their housemates filed in, most of them sneering in disgust or outrage at the sight of the trio 'mingling houses'.

The fact that Professor Flitwick gave them each five points for 'inter house comradery' only made his shit eating grin smugger.

-Dumbledore-

Humming to himself as he sat down for lunch, Albus smiled at the sight of young Harry walked in with his friend Dean Thomas. The enthusiastic Miss Granger already having a spot at the Ravenclaw reserved for them and a pair of Hufflepuff first years.

It was good to see Harry bouncing back after the painful news he'd been forced to deliver.

"Yet another pair of new miscreants for the latest generation of Marauders." Severus sighed, sounding more tired than angry, "If they prank me, Lily's son or not, they'll be scrubbing cauldron bottoms for weeks."

"Then I'm sure they'll be properly motivated to not get caught the next time." Albus smirked, eyes twinkling as Severus grumbled into his pumpkin juice.

"I gathered those ingredients you asked me to by the way Albus." Severus shook his head, not so subtly changing the topic, "Although may I ask why you require ingredients for a binding potion? Do you require a new wand?"

"No, no, this partner of mine is still performing perfectly." Albus smiled as he tapped the Elder Wand, "No Mr. Potter and his friends are looking into making their own wands."

"Already?" Minerva looked surprised to hear that. To the average witch or wizard, a premade wand from Ollivander's was all they'd ever need, many even looking down on the act of wand crafting much as they looked down on potion brewing although not to the same extent. But many of the most determined witches and wizards crafted their own wands once they'd grown older, Salar Slytherin being a prime example as the man had used a horn from his own basilisk as the core for a wand he'd made as an adult.

"What, did old Garrick finally fail to make a match?" Severus smirked, the potion brewer not being all that fond of the wand making family. But given they claimed to be the best crafters yet rarely made new wands, it wasn't that surprising.

"Mr. Potter says that the wand Ollivander sold to him makes his scar ache." Albus' tone was serious as Minerva and Severus' eyes widened, the two fully aware of and sharing his thoughts on the matter of the potential curse scar.

"I suppose even a rudimentary wand would be better than…whatever is in that scar reacting." Severus shuddered, "I'll make the potion, don't want some dunderheaded first year bungling the job." Albus did his best to hide his smirk at the concern Severus felt hidden behind gruff irritation.

"And where will they get materials?" Minerva pushed.

"I planned to take them to my estate actually." He stroked his beard, "I haven't been myself for some time, but my orchard and collection of reagents should still be there." Before he'd fully settled as the Headmaster, back during his days as Alchemist Dumbledore, he'd travelled the world to collect plants and bits of animals, both magical and mundane, to study. The area should have plenty of opportunities to see if the students made a connection or reacted to any materials.

"I see." Minerva nodded, sounding relieved and likely thinking he'd be handling most of the work for the students.

"Although they did tell me they have several… 'mad science ideas', I believe they called them." His eyes twinkled as his colleagues paled in trepidation, "I will say, I'm quite curious to see what sort of ideas they have."

"Are…are you sure about this Albus?" Minerva was looking remarkably less calm now.

"The children are highly dedicated Minerva." Albus chided her, "They've even been making mock dowels just to figure out the length and appearance they want. I for one am thrilled at the passion these children are showing for the pursuit of knowledge."

"…Severus, I vote any detention these 'New Marauders' have to serve because of their pranks, Albus has to take part in too." Minerva deadpanned.

"Seconded." Severus smirked, fully enjoying his act of betrayal.

"Rude." Albus huffed, his colleagues and friends seeming quite smug at their 'victory', "Well then, I suppose this means war." The two looked decidedly less smug.

AN: About my stance on Ollivander's and the wands, it's from things I observed in the books, games, movies, etc. We know the base parts of the wand, but it's never established how they're made. Regardless, we see the shop is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of wands, many of the shelves covered in thick cobwebs meaning they haven't been touched in years. Most people we see only use the one wand during their schooling unless it breaks, and many would probably keep that wand going forward. With 40-100 new witches and wizards a year plus those getting new wands when their old ones broke, at seven galleons a wand that's 280-700 Galleons a year just from new students. Even more if he sells wand care items or wand holsters. A thousand galleons is treated like a massive amount of money so with that kind of monopoly on the market and a huge backlog of inventory, the Ollivanders don't seem to make new stuff often. Add to that the ego we see from Garrick Ollivander, and the lack of creativity of 'only using the three cores' while deriding any who use other ones, I could see other 'craftsmen witches and wizards' not liking that family much.