Author's Note: This is the second book of this series; the first can be found through my profile. I have the entire second book written, it just needs chapter breaks and maybe some clean up since when I wrote it I wrote for myself, not to post. I should have the entire Book Two posted in the near future. I am currently working on Book Three, but that is a ways off since I don't want to post any of it until it is complete.
JKR and Warner Bros. and other licensees own the rights to Harry Potter; I only own the original parts of my stories. In addition, I want to give credit to BrilliantLady's Perfectly Normal series as well as CatsAreCool's A Marauder's Tale for helping to shape my mind canon. You should definitely read their stories first.
BOOK TWO
Chapter One
When Harry and Sirius had talked about summer plans, Harry had hesitantly suggested they have one week with nothing at all required, just fencing and dueling and doing what they wanted at Potter Manor. Sirius had gotten a terribly sad look on his face at that, and at Harry's hesitancy in asking for it. He said that of course they could, that other kids got that as a matter of course and Harry never had and should.
So, the plan was in place. They would be going to Italy for ten days, where the Grangers would be joining them for two nights and three days, and then would travel to Paris for as long as it held their interest. After that they would return to Potter Manor for the bulk of the summer, where Harry and Sirius would attend Wizengamot meetings and House functions, and Sirius would teach Harry estate management, politics, riding, dueling and fencing, while Harry would have friends over. That Harry would brew and use the library was a given. They also had tickets to two quidditch games over the summer.
But first, Harry would have a week just to take a break. Sirius had assured him that they could skip dueling and fencing for one week as well, but brightened when Harry said dueling and fencing lessons were part of Harry 'doing what he wanted' at Potter Manor. He said he just wanted to soak in the sensation of being at home. He and Sirius were in the solarium with Fleamont and Euphemia in her portrait on their first night home telling them their holiday plans when Harry said that.
Fleamont smiled. "I suspect it has to do with the family magic. We all feel it, wanting to recharge here if we are gone too long, but you haven't had the first eleven years being here nearly full time, and I suspect you may crave it more acutely."
Sirius smirked. "I just figured he was a homebody."
Harry rolled his eyes, but thought what Fleamont said made sense. He did definitely feel the need to recharge at Potter Manor when he was away from it for long. He didn't feel like it all went one way, either, he felt more like a link in a circuit, that the magic needed him for it to flow properly through the property as well.
In the end Harry got two full days of break before the week off plan bowed to Andromeda. Initially, it was just a suggestion that the Tonkses come to dinner that week, asking if the 'family dinners' which Andromeda had enjoyed and thought good for both Harry and Dora would be continuing this summer. Since they were going to be gone for two or three weeks, Andromeda thought the next day would suit, since Harry and Sirius 'weren't doing anything.' Sirius asked Harry in private saying he could say no if formal dinners were too much like work, but Harry only minded a little, and said seeing family was different, not wanting to be the reason the dinner wouldn't go forward.
Then before dinner, Andromeda privately spoke to Harry about the fact that Madam Vernier was taking up the chairship of the International Potioneers Society in late August, which Harry knew. What he didn't know was that Andromeda had broadcast Harry's tie with Draco Malfoy for first in his year in potions with Madam Vernier. This seemed to offend both Andromeda and Madam Vernier who had offered to conduct an unheard of concentrated tutoring session of three days in succession, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a break for lunch, for Harry privately. Starting the next day, since Harry had nothing on his schedule and would have a full schedule when he returned from Europe. Andromeda and Harry would floo her tonight if it were a yes, and Andromeda would floo her if it were a no. It was clear that Andromeda felt Harry should be thrilled and snap up the opportunity, and that Madam Vernier would be insulted if he did not.
Harry had a sneaking suspicion that on Andromeda's part the enthusiasm had as much to do with Andromeda's own sense of competition with her 'favored Black daughter' sister, Narcissa Black Malfoy as for her concern with Harry's potion skills. However, he knew that if it hadn't been this week, he would have been delighted to spend more time learning from Madam Vernier.
Andy, in speaking to him privately was respecting the boundaries Sirius had set about not trying to use public pressure to get her way with Harry. However, Harry felt it was no accident that this also meant she was cornering Harry alone, without Sirius, who would probably have insisted that Harry had a mere week without duties coming, and that didn't mean it was a blank calendar for Andromeda to populate with her own choice of activities. Still, the fact remained that Andromeda had spoken to Madam Vernier about this, Madam had offered, and Harry would feel like an ingrate if he turned it down.
On the other hand, he didn't like Andromeda setting this up without asking him first, and he had developed enough feeling of self-worth to at least make that clear, if not to turn the offer down.
"I know it is extraordinary for her to offer that, and now that it has been offered, I don't feel like I have any choice." He said, bluntly, watching Andromeda falter, "At any other time I'd be overjoyed, but I had firmly cleared a week in order to have the first clear week I can remember, frankly, ever." Andromeda clearly caught the reference to his past home life and recoiled, and he felt he had said enough. In fact, his people pleasing habits made him wish to apologize to her. He fought the impulse down, but also left the topic there. "As things stand, please tell her I would be delighted. But I would appreciate it if you have an idea like this in the future you discuss it with me first."
Andromeda bowed her head. "I've done it again, haven't I?" she asked, rhetorically. Harry didn't say anything and she sighed. "I don't want you to think it was calculated. She hinted that she would be very interested in knowing your potions grade, and I felt she had a vested interest and that you could hardly be ashamed by not only getting an 'O' but being tied for first place in your whole year..." She hesitated again at Harry's raised eyebrow.
"Only you and she were ashamed of it, weren't you?" Harry asked, pointedly, this being part of what had truly stung.
Her eyes went wide and she started to deny it, but took in his disbelieving look, and hesitated thoughtfully.
"No." She said firmly. However, she looked ashamed of herself, and Harry waited. "However, what I did do was still wrong." She sighed. "Both she and I were using you in competitions of our own. I didn't want my sister Cissy's son to tie with you because I had taken on that part of your education to some extent. I suppose I felt as if Cissy were tying with me directly, and having her held up to me for so long as family approved pure blood perfection, while I was disowned rankled. As for Madam Vernier... you likely don't know it, but Draco has been tutored summers for years by another internationally ranked potioneer who has competed against Madam Vernier on many fronts, seeking advantages in ways she found contemptible.
"I did truly feel you would not only benefit from the opportunity but be overjoyed with it - I know how disappointed you were that Madam Vernier could only tutor for one year. Still, my own motives came as much from my personal competition with Cissy as from your benefit."
She put a hand on Harry's shoulder and looked at him earnestly. "But I swear it wasn't from being ashamed of you."
Harry searched her expression then nodded. "I guess that makes sense. You weren't out finding me tutors for History of Magic or Astronomy which were my worst grades."
Andromeda blushed and lowered her gaze. "Your grades are excellent." She said with a sigh. "You are top of your year overall. I am very sorry I made you feel even for an instant that anyone should be ashamed of those grades." She looked him in the eyes. "And I do realize this is the second time I've done something that ended up manipulating you into a position where whether beneficial to you or not, you would find it difficult to say no. I truly will try not to do that in the future, but it seems to be a personality trait I will need to work on."
Harry's lips twitched, but he nodded. "Thank you." He sighed, "Well, I guess we should call her." Andromeda hesitated. "She'd come here for the sessions, right?" he asked and Andromeda nodded.
"Harry if you want me to tell her that I overstepped..."
Harry shook his head. "It is done, this time. I just don't want it to keep on happening. I am sure I will enjoy the work, and I do appreciate her using her time to do this."
Andromeda nodded although she still looked unsettled. "All right. Then yes, let us floo her."
Sirius, when he heard, was predictably furious. Harry told him he had already had words with Andromeda and she had promised to try to do better, but Harry was certain there was still an uncomfortable meeting or floo call in Andromeda's future. Sirius was, however, proud of Harry for sticking up for himself, which made Harry feel self-conscious and change the subject, but pleased him all the same.
Madam Vernier's lessons, however, were wonderful. She was right that an immersion in the subject brought home the accumulative effect of multiple tiny errors or lost opportunities and how preventing those could change an excellent result to a perfect one. Harry realized it was similar to how he watched even 'meaningless' point reductions for handwriting or form on an essay in classes where he was striving for the top spot. The overall product was better for the more precise standard of care.
Further, with three concentrated days of brewing and the expanse of Potter Manor's potions lab, she was able to demonstrate, and experiment to learn right along with Harry, how tiny changes can make a difference and what even more tweaks could do to alter a potion slightly.
Madam Vernier was clearly impressed with the potions lab to the point of asking Harry if she might brew there after their sessions for the days she was at Potter Manor, which Harry was happy to permit. When at lunch on the first day Madam Vernier mentioned that in order to make the best wit sharpening potion African red pepper should be grown in soil from which dittany has been transplanted, which was as a practical matter impossible to get, Harry knew from his greenhouse tour with Neville that Donnie grew it that way and said so.
Madam Vernier stared at Harry in such incredulity that he thought she doubted him, so he called Donnie and asked him to tell her how he grew African red pepper in the Potter Manor greenhouses. However, she assured Harry that she was merely astonished to find African red pepper to potions quality in the British Isles at all, much less in premium growing conditions. Donnie brought some of the plant to the potions lab to be used in their brewing and Madam Vernier not only showed Harry how to best prepare it, but tested its springiness and opacity against the light, looking more and more impressed.
On the second day their discussion included why wolfsbane potion was so difficult to brew. Part of it involved the ingredient preparation and sequence of brewing she was demonstrating at the time, which is how the topic arose. However, she mentioned in an aside that Harry's education at this point included all the skills needed to properly brew wolfsbane potion, but that, regrettably, the ingredients were too expensive for them to experiment with that particular potion.
Harry very much wanted to learn to brew wolfsbane potion. He also knew for a fact that there was a supply of every ingredient required for wolfsbane potion at Potter Manor, where his mother had learned to brew the potion for Remus Lupin. He told Madam Vernier that either his parents or grandparents, he forgot which, had a werewolf friend and they had stores of the inert ingredients on hand, as well as a supply of all of the organic ingredients in the greenhouses. When her attention focused on him entirely at that statement, he grinned, then asked her if she would teach him, since they had the makings of the potion. She clearly considered this to be a rare treat. She was more than happy to both show Harry how to brew the potion, and to experiment with him on alternate versions for the rest of the day, even working late to do so.
Harry had realized that while he hadn't initially wanted to use his free time in classes, he had obtained a once in a lifetime opportunity with Madam Vernier, and he was grateful. He decided that the third and last day he would present her with a gift grown at Potter Manor, and he knew exactly which one he would give her. One fourth of the Potter flutterby bushes were coming into bloom, and Donnie had elaborate plans for putting a good portion into preservative stasis, given the plants bloomed only once every hundred years, making flutterby blooms exceedingly difficult to find. However, Harry planned to have Donnie prepare a separate box of a half dozen flutterby blooms to give to Madam Vernier. Harry would ask her if she wanted a share of her portion fresh, to be used in brewing within 24 hours, or wanted all of her blooms in preservative stasis.
Harry felt Madam Vernier might need to think about how she would prefer her gift, and Donnie might need some time to properly prepare her share to be transported, so Harry decided to tell Madam Vernier of the gift at lunch on the third day, so that it would be waiting for her when she left in the afternoon. They had an excellent and productive morning session going over advanced brewing techniques, rather than learning specific new potions. These would be techniques that would help Harry improve a wide variety of potions, going forward. Harry could easily see the difference in his brewing just in the three days she had been there, and was by this point happy to learn anything Madam Vernier wanted to teach.
When they sat down to pork braciola, made in honor of Sirius and Harry's pending visit to Italy, Harry decided to raise the topic of the gift. "Madam Vernier, I have learned so much this year from you, and particularly in these last few days. I truly do appreciate it." He began.
Madam Vernier looked pleased. "You are a promising student with a true enthusiasm for brewing. I have been pleased to work with you."
Harry smiled. "I did want to give you something that we grow here on the grounds, in appreciation of all of your help." She looked curious and smiled. "Some of our flutterby bushes are in the process of blooming - "
Madam Vernier choked and coughed, having taken a bite, and looked at him amazed while reaching for her goblet of wine, a glass of which she had at each lunch. Harry waited, concerned, until she stopped coughing and gave him her full attention.
"I wanted to give you a half dozen blossoms to take with you today. Donnie has prepared a box to put them into preservative stasis, or you can take some portion in a cold charmed box, but you would need to use them..."
"...within 24 hours." She finished with him her eyes alight. She was clearly thinking furiously. "Two. I would like two in a cold charmed box and the rest under stasis." She said, "And thank you for this princely gift!" She was truly excited and Harry was glad he had waited until lunch to mention it, since he felt this afternoon, her thoughts would be on flutterby blooms.
However, that afternoon was unusually productive. Enthused by the prospect of flutterby blooms, Madam Vernier threw herself into the session with even more than her usual passion for brewing, and taught Harry how to analyze a potion to see if certain common problems had occurred, usually due to the quality of purchased potions ingredients, but sometimes due to improper brewing temperature or lazy ladle technique. She then showed Harry how to reverse the problems. Harry felt that everything he learned would be useful to him on a long term basis, and when the day came to a close and Madam Vernier left with her prize, both Harry and she were extremely pleased with the entire immersive experience.
The next day was Harry and Sirius's last day before their trip to Italy, and Harry had made sure he was prepared to go in advance so he would have that last day free. He found out later from the elves that Andromeda had suggested to Sirius that her family come over for a farewell dinner and Sirius had put it off for another time. Apparently, he had told her flat out that Harry had worked hard to clear the following day so he could have at least that one day out of the free week he had planned, and Sirius didn't trust her not to decide that meant Harry was available for some Andromeda sponsored project.
Sirius had not, in fact, flooed Andromeda previously to call her to task for the potions classes and thought, rightly, that suffering direct consequences of her actions was more likely to make Andromeda reconsider putting Harry on the spot in the future. Sirius felt that nothing drove the point home with Slytherins more acutely than failure to achieve a goal. While Harry felt a bit awkward being in between Sirius and Andromeda, he couldn't help but feel warmed that Sirius cared so much about his own preferences, and he truly wanted the day free to enjoy Potter Manor, fly, fence and duel with Sirius, and as Sirius put it with fond amusement, 'commune with the family magic.'
Sirius broke a surprise to Harry with dinner, which they ate out on the patio, enjoying the early summer evening. "I have a bit of an unusual early birthday present for you, if you want it." Sirius started hesitantly. Harry was immediately interested, smiling up at him with the open, happy expression Sirius loved to see on his son's face. "It is a present just because it is expensive, and you won't be doing it too often, but also because of that, I wanted to make sure I would be getting the right one for you."
"What is it?"
"I have tentatively arranged to have you get an Italian language treatment our first day at the Villa."
"That sounds great!" Harry said. "Is it like it sounds? Will I be able to speak Italian after that?"
Sirius laughed, "Yes, or our galleons back." He hesitated. "The thing is, most Heirs take French as their first language if they do this, thinking it is more versatile on the continent. There's also an historic social cache to speaking French fluently. However, English is actually spoken about as universally as French nowadays, and I just personally think with the Potter Villa, you would get more out of having Italian be your language this summer. Italian you could use on the beach now, where it is sometimes inconvenient to wear charmed language medallions, which don't really provide fluency in any event. I think French could wait until you are older and want to sample the Paris night life. Still, it is up to you. Probably some of your friends at House functions will be fluent in French. And you do have the apartment in Paris as well."
"My friends at House functions are fluent in English." Harry pointed out reasonably, and Sirius laughed. "I think Italian sounds brilliant!"
Sirius grinned, pleased, "Then Italian it is! I'll call and finalize the appointment tomorrow at the Villa. They'll come to us, so we can do it right after we arrive."
Mimsy popped out onto the patio as Marta was serving peach ice cream. "Be Master Harry going to the ritual circle before visiting the Villa?" Mimsy asked.
Harry looked at her curiously. "Is there a reason I should, in particular?" Sirius looked interested, too.
"No Potters be going to the Villa or Paris in many years. The family magic be thin. It be good if Master Harry be strong in family magic before he goes."
"Thank you, Mimsy." Harry said, intrigued. "I will certainly visit the ritual circle then. I wanted to go for a fly, in any event." Mimsy nodded in satisfaction and popped away, her job done. "Did you know about this?" Harry asked Sirius when she had gone. Sirius shook his head thoughtfully.
"No, but then the Potters went to Europe at least every summer when I knew them, and Fleamont and Euphemia must have used the properties on occasion during the school year, as well." Sirius looked thoughtful. "We have a Black property in Greece. I wonder if I need to do something similar there. I'll have to look into it. Mind you," he grinned at Harry, "Pumping up the Black family magic doesn't give the same rush as the Potter family magic." Harry smiled. He liked all of his family magics, but there was no denying that the Potter family magic felt the most nurturing. "Do you want company on your fly?"
Harry grinned at him. "Always. First, I want to ask Fleamont about the ritual circle and if there's anything in particular, I should do." He stood up expecting Sirius to follow him, but Sirius just smiled. "I'll meet you back here, then." Harry said, walking back into the house.
Harry went to the study, where Fleamont was in his portrait and looked up, smiling, when Harry walked in. "Grandfather, Mimsy said something about going to the ritual circle before our trip tomorrow, because there haven't been any Potters at the Villa or in the Paris apartment in ten years. Is there anything in particular I should do?"
"Ah," Fleamont said. "I hadn't considered that, and Mimsy is correct. Nobby even died from insufficient family magic in Paris, didn't he?" Harry nodded. "Well, it will have been getting better since you took the wards here and bonded with the elves. The elves going back and forth will have somewhat rekindled the family magic indirectly. However, there is no question the Villa and apartment will be drawing more magic than usual from you at first, once you take the wards.
"As for what you do, you know already. You go to the circle and become one with the family magic. You feel it refresh you and the land, but it draws from you as well to do so. There is a store of family magic to draw on at need which has been nurtured by Potters through the centuries, both here and to a lesser extent, in Italy. However, in the long run that magic is drawn from Potter family members.
"Communing with the family magic in the ritual circle is one way of stimulating the magic in you. It adds to the family magic available to sustain us, our elves and our land, but also leaves you flush with family magic as you leave. It also aids your capacity to carry and funnel magic in all aspects of your life. I would recommend visiting the ritual circle at least once a year apart from ritual festivals, just for this purpose."
Harry nodded. Sirius had not mentioned this, but Harry had also noticed that Sirius had not come up with him when he came to speak to Fleamont. This was a matter of family magic, and it wasn't considered appropriate to pry into the family magic of another House. Likely, Fleamont had never mentioned this to Sirius, and Harry's father probably hadn't lived there long enough as Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter to really have it come up between himself and Sirius. Harry suspected his Dad wouldn't have had a problem discussing it with Sirius if it had come up. Clearly, from what Sirius had said about Harry's prior use of the circle, Sirius had felt its effects.
Thanking Fleamont, Harry called Piper for his and Sirius's brooms, then flew Sirius's down to him on the patio from the terrace in his rooms. Mimsy was right. The terrace did come in handy.