Chapter Four
Three full days in Paris turned out to be enough for them this trip, so they returned to Potter Manor two weeks after they had left with Harry delighted, as always, to return home. He spent the next day flying the grounds, visiting the ritual circle and reading on his favorite window seat in the library. Harry and Sirius also restarted their dueling and fencing classes with a stepped up, vacation schedule. They had fenced on the piazza in Italy a handful of times, but had had no formal dueling at all, and Harry was glad to get back to it.
Also, they now had new horses, and Harry was learning to ride the bridle paths, going out with Sirius and/or Andromeda for at least a little while two or three times a week. Dora occasionally joined them as well, clearly to please her mother. Harry found riding the Potter grounds to be pleasant, and another way to bond with the land, and he enjoyed his horse, Baron. But in the end, it wasn't flying, and there was no familiar bond with Baron like he had with Hedwig and Fawkes, so he rode as much because the elves, Sirius and his grandparents' portraits thought he should as anything. It seemed to be a skill he was just supposed to have. He did like the sound of sleigh rides in the winter, though, and he looked forward to enjoying those.
Harry and Sirius were now taking time three days a week to go over estate management, so Harry was learning about his investments and how to make sure they were doing well, or to take action in a timely manner if they were not. Sirius said there was no time pressure to Harry taking the investments over, and Harry was glad, although he felt guilty making Sirius do so much work. When he mentioned this Sirius laughed at him. He reminded Harry that he, James and Lily had all agreed Sirius would have that role, and that not one of them had expected Harry to become emancipated at eleven. James had certainly not had to manage the Potter investments at age eleven. Sirius was just doing what fathers do.
They also had politics lessons two days a week, although this might take the form of a discussion at lunch or dinner. Generally, Sirius used actual bills or issues under discussion at the Wizengamot as a framework for the discussions, so that Harry was also being educated on current political events and learning the political stances of people he would be working with.
Sirius also hired Harry a dance tutor for a 'concentrated tutorial' so that Harry could race through the dances he already knew and have a basis for having 'learned them' when he danced at House functions. Andromeda insisted on "seeing what he was learning" by testing his skill herself, and agreed he might only need a brush up on less often danced dances once in a while, rather than have to take a whole series of lessons.
Harry was also making sure to use his brewing skills. He was now at a stage of potions brewing where he was experimenting with his own modifications to brewing recipes he learned, with a fair idea of what alteration a particular modification would cause. He and Andromeda worked together on several runs of potions, and she clearly enjoyed both using the Potter potions lab and brewing with someone who enjoyed the process as much as she did and enjoyed learning from her what had always been her favorite subject. Sirius, for his part, began to look at the extensive potions store Harry was creating with a jaundiced eye, asking him exactly what he planned to get up to that would make him need remedies for so many ills. Harry just laughed and said there was nothing wrong with being prepared, and anyhow, he was learning a ton, which Sirius could hardly deny.
Within the week of getting back to Potter Manor, Harry, Sirius and Hermione took a trip to Diagon Alley primarily to visit Flourish and Blotts. Hermione absolutely agreed with Harry that it would be best to craft their holiday homework using second year books where they knew what the books would be, even though in her case it would mean starting most of her projects over. She 'couldn't imagine what she had been thinking' to use first year texts.
Neville said he'd wait until the book lists came out - and likely wait until then to do the projects as well - but thanked Harry effusively for the early birthday present Harry had sent him via Donnie of a blooming flutterby branch cutting complete with roots to plant in his greenhouse – the only effective way to transplant the plants. He also said he'd be happy to come 'help out' at Potter Manor over the summer if Harry wanted company. He protested emphatically but turned pink when Harry joked that Neville only loved him for his greenhouses. When Neville did come to visit at Potter Manor he spent time in the green houses with Harry, explaining about some of Potter Manor's more exotic plants and soaking up knowledge from Donnie. However, he also made sure to suggest things like a fly around the grounds culminating in a picnic, clearly having taken the comment to heart. This amused Harry, but also led to more enjoyable visits from his perspective, so he didn't say anything to disabuse Neville of the need.
When Harry and Sirius reached Diagon Alley with Hermione, Harry had an unpleasant surprise when he and Hermione asked about the second year books at Flourish and Blotts, hoping the manager might know the titles of more of the books for the coming year. Taking up a full bookcase in the DADA section there were numerous copies of all seven texts by Gilderoy Lockhart. As the memories assaulted him, Harry whirled to face Sirius who was trailing behind. "Isn't Remus teaching DADA this year?" Harry asked urgently.
Sirius made a face. "I'm sorry. I meant to tell you, but no, apparently before his trial Dumbledore had entered into a contract with another professor, so the school is bound to that contract. Minnie wasn't any better pleased than Remus, I don't think. She doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of this new professor. She did tell Remus that the contract is only for one year, and she is open to having Hogwarts hire Remus again next year if he is available."
Hermione looked alarmed at the thought that they were getting another subpar DADA professor and picked up one of the books, reading about the author under a full width picture of Lockhart's smiling face. "Oh, but he sounds wonderful!" she said enthusiastically, "Just read his background! And he apparently did all of the things in these books himself!"
Harry fielded a vivid 'older Harry' memory of Hermione circling Lockhart's classes with hearts in her syllabus and groaned. Sirius's eyebrows shot up, and he looked decidedly amused.
"Any chance I can self-study DADA this year?" Harry asked with little hope. Sirius laughed.
"We had leverage with Dumbledore over Snape. Who you will be glad to know is not going to be teaching this year. The Professor who taught your parents and me will be back, Horace Slughorn." Harry nodded at that.
"OK, that sounds fine. But about DADA..." Sirius laughed again and Hermione glared at Harry.
"You might at least give him a chance!" she said in an offended tone.
"I've heard of him." Harry said giving Sirius a significant look which caused him to stop laughing, finally catching on. "I've heard he's a complete fraud. Why do you think Professor McGonagall wishes she didn't have to hire him?"
"I'm sure she's exaggerating because she feels badly that she can't hire Professor Lupin again." Hermione said. "After all, Professor Lupin jumped in in the middle when they really needed someone and was a very good professor. But that doesn't mean our new professor is bad."
Harry sighed. "Well, it looks like you're going to be top of our year this year, Hermione. There is no way I'm buying those books." He grabbed one each of the leftover texts Remus had assigned second and third years the year before and moved to the charms section for the Standard Book of Spells Year Two. He grabbed Year Three while he was at it.
"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione huffed, stacking all seven of the Lockhart books in her basket. "They're assigned, you have to read them."
"The Adventures of Marvin the Madcap Muggle is always available in the Ravenclaw library if I feel like reading fiction." Harry called from the transfiguration section. Hermione rolled her eyes and scooped up years two and three of the Standard Book of Spells, following Harry's example. Sirius trailed behind, smirking. He realized he'd have to find out what the problem was with the professor, but meanwhile listening to Harry and Hermione bicker was highly amusing.
They rounded out their trip to Diagon Alley with a visit to Florean Fortescue's where Hermione had berry sorbet "having eaten her way through Italy", and Harry happily tried a new kind of sundae, before Sirius and Harry had Mimsy pop Hermione home. Sirius and Harry then apparated back to Potter Manor, taking advantage of Harry's new apparation license. However, Sirius had to wait to question Harry about Professor Lockhart since no more had they apparated into the parlor than Daniel Greengrass flooed to speak to Sirius.
Harry immediately moved to the study to take care of pressing correspondence for Professor McGonagall.
He was just finishing his final draft of the letter when Sirius walked in. "Who's that to?" Sirius asked.
"Professor McGonagall." Harry said, dusting sand over the ink to blot it before setting it aside to fetch an envelope.
"May I?" Sirius asked, raising the letter. Harry shrugged so Sirius began to read, his eyebrows rising higher as he read. "The professor is so bad you're willing to test out of his class and wait for a good professor to be hired next year?" he asked, disbelievingly.
"He obliviated all the people who really did the things he said he did in his books, and tests on things like what is Professor Lockhart's favorite color as set out in a Year with the Yeti. I really don't want to be in that man's class."
Sirius looked at him. "It seems to me you told me something about a professor trying to obliviate older Harry and Ron Weasley on the way to the Chamber of Secrets..."
"This is the one."
Sirius's expression turned grim. "Well, I support you, of course. But you said you think people think you get special treatment. Do you think this will help?"
Harry sighed, putting down his quill. "No, but on the other hand, I am literally going to test out of the class. I will be taking the second year final Remus gave his class last year."
"I'm not sure you can. I think it involved a sort of treasure hunt through DADA scenarios. I think the written part was the smallest portion."
Harry ran his hand through his hair, looking desperate. "There must be something I can do!"
Sirius sighed. "Well, send your letter. If the test doesn't work maybe Professor McGonagall can think of something else."
Harry nodded and moved to the perch by the window where Hedwig was waiting, and tied the letter to her leg.
"Did you know that in his book "Wandering with Werewolves" Lockhart claims to have cured a werewolf of lycanthropy by using the homorphus charm?" Harry asked idly. "Pity if some twelve-year-old were to try that..." Sirius winced.
As it turned out, Professor McGonagall did not need to be persuaded to allow Harry to test out of DADA. She seemed to have been only waiting for the first opportunity. Professor McGonagall wrote that she found testing out to be an excellent suggestion and that she had lined up Professor Lupin to test Harry, and any others who chose that option on a task based employment with Hogwarts. If Harry wished to test out of DADA, he was responsible for paying the testing fee. She said that she trusted he would study to his prior year's test standards, and that only his academic excellence was permitting him this option. She also stated that while she felt it unlikely others would wish to go the same route, she was writing to all of those who had received Os on their DADA exam from Professor Lupin across all years that if they preferred to study this summer and test out of the following year of DADA they could do so on the same terms. When Sirius followed up by floo to clarify some points she told him that she would get as many students as would cooperate out of the class, but that in Harry's case she felt Dumbledore had inflicted quite enough damage where he was concerned without adding Lockhart to the list. Sirius confessed to Harry that he had been wrong, and Harry smirked, mostly at the much abused air Sirius wore in having to make the confession, but Harry was too happy to get out of the class to give him a hard time. Harry had already added revising Remus's textbook from second year classes the year before to his schedule of summer activities. He intended to revise Remus's third year curriculum during the school year.
When Harry told Hermione she too could test out of the class she was offended that Harry was missing the opportunity to study with such a renowned expert and was certainly not about to follow his example. Neville unfortunately had not received an O in DADA and so was not eligible to test out.
However, it turned out that Hermione and Neville were not the only students to discuss the new DADA option with Harry. A week after Harry's trip to Diagon Alley for books, Harry was whistled in from a fly to take a floo call from Daphne Greengrass. Sirius had told Marta that Harry would want to take the call.
Harry walked past a smirking Sirius who was still eating breakfast at the kitchen table and gave him an expressive look. Harry was very sure that had Neville floo called while he was out flying the elves would have simply taken a message. Just to pay Sirius back he told Daphne he'd call her back on the parlor fire because Sirius was still eating in the kitchen and Harry didn't want to disturb him. For that, Sirius gave Harry an expressive look of his own, but Harry felt he'd gotten the better of the exchange, since Sirius had obviously intended to listen in.
Daphne had received her letter from Professor McGonagall on the option of testing out of the upcoming year of DADA, since she had received an O the previous year. Her parents had found this to be sufficiently unusual that they floo called Professor McGonagall to ask her why this was being offered. They had only been told that Harry had requested it for himself, and since Remus Lupin had proven to be an excellent teacher, and would likely be teaching again the following year, Professor McGonagall had determined his tests should be offered to everyone who, like Harry, had received an O in DADA the previous year. What Daphne wanted to know was why had he asked to test out.
"I understand you are not having a different tutor like you did with potions last year. You just won't be taking the class this year." She looked like she found this hard to believe.
"That's right." Harry says. "Although I do plan to revise third year material during the term. You might not agree with my reasoning, though - Hermione doesn't." Daphne looked interested at that.
"What does Hermione say?"
"What she says is that the 'about the author blurbs' on his books that the new professor writes himself makes him seem like a real expert and we should give him a chance."
"But you don't think so."
"I don't plan to give a chance to someone who thinks you can capture a ghoul with a tea strainer, no." Harry hadn't realized Daphne was capable of snorting, and she clearly surprised herself, because she went bright red and her hand flew - briefly - over her face.
"He doesn't really." She challenged, but Harry quirked an eyebrow and nodded.
"Oh, but he does. He has assigned all seven of his books to all seven years and you can check them out in Flourish and Blotts. I'd lend you mine but I refused to buy any." Daphne laughed, incredulously.
"I'm just not sure I'll have time to teach myself a whole year's worth of work in just a little over a month this summer." She mused. "I wonder if Professor McGonagall would give us the opportunity to self-study and test out at the end of the year."
"I don't know. My way, if I didn't pass, I'd still have a chance to take his horrible class. If she allows people to self-study and they don't put in the work there they are at the end of the year..." Daphne nodded.
"I hope my grades will persuade her I wouldn't want to fall behind. I may not have been first in the class like you, but I was in the top five," she said determinedly. "Well, thank you for the information. I will speak to my parents about this." Harry smiled and they signed off just as Sirius 'oh, so casually' strolled into the room.
When Sirius heard Harry and Daphne saying their good byes he gave Harry an injured look. "Must have been a really private conversation since you didn't want to have it in the kitchen." Sirius complained. Harry just grinned at him and called Piper for his broom.
Daphne wasn't the last student Harry heard from on the topic. He had added a personal note to his invitation to Blaise Zambini for his birthday party cum House event saying that he would enjoy meeting Blaise's mother and step father but that in the event they were still traveling, Harry hoped Blaise would come on his own. Blaise accepted the solitary invitation and added his own personal note that it would give him the chance to grill Harry about 'the DADA test out opportunity.'