The Wizengamot erupted as Sirius stepped down from the stand. It had been decades since a request like this had been brought before them, and even longer since it had involved a House as historically powerful as the Blacks.

Sirius was the last living male member of the House, with three possible female claimants. Of those, one was a convicted felon, another married to a muggleborn, and the third married to Lucius Malfoy. After Sirius dies, the House would either have to be declared extinct, or passed onto Draco or Nymphadora. Sirius proposed none of those options. Instead, Harry would be given the name Potter-Black and be declared Heir to both Houses. Predictably, Lucius Malfoy and his supporters were leading the protest. The Head of House Black had been the president of the Legacy Party for decades until Orion Black died and his son Sirius had switched the allegiance of the House. Not only would the proposed move deprive Draco Malfoy of the opportunity to inherit the title through his mother, it would forever deprive the supremacists of one of their founding members.

Virtually everyone was adding their own voice to the cacophony, but Dumbledore's attention was focused most heavily on Cyprus Greengrass. Ever since the vote on the tariff bill two years prior, Greengrass's policies had shifted ever so slightly. Above all, Cyprus was a ruthless opportunist. His grandfather had inherited a title, his own father's debts and little else. Three consecutive generations of Greengrasses had rebuilt the family name and business more and more, and Dumbledore knew that Cyprus had no intention of stopping. Just five years prior he had bought the ancestral Greengrass Manor almost ninety years after the family had been forced to sell it off. The latest Lord Greengrass, like the previous two, was no fool. He knew what Voldemort's brand of extremism led to, and he knew who's banner was rising. Dumbledore would never call the man an ally, but he might be convinced to back Sirius's efforts. The only question was what the man wanted. Cyprus had two daughters, but no sons.

At the moment, Greengrass was showing no outward reactions. His deputy chairman of the Open Market Party, Basil Davis, whispered something in his ear to which Greengrass nodded, but he spoke no words. Sirius was talking to a member of Amir Patil's National Conclave Party, Lucius ranting to anyone who would listen, Amelia Bones was strategizing with members of her own Progression Party. Dumbledore cast an amplifying charm on his gavel and banged it as hard as he could. "Order!" he declared. "We will have order!" This was going to be a long fight.

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Dumbledore rarely used his house, but the one thing to be said about it was that it came with a Quidditch pitch. Since professional clubs often used the Hogwarts pitch as a training or tryout sight during the summer, Sirius and Harry would often use Dumbledore's to play games.

At the moment Sirius was enjoying the beautiful sunset, drinking gnomish beer and chatting with an old friend from Hogwarts John Abbott while nine-year-old Harry practiced tricks on his broom. His school year had ended two days prior and the freedoms of summer were just setting in. Harry had always enjoyed moving as quickly as possible and showed no signs of slowing down that he had a real broom. Sirius had bought him a Cleansweep Nine for his last birthday and Harry loved it so much he would even cut out some magical practice time to fly.

"I always hated playing against his dad in school," John said as Harry attempted another barrel roll. John Abott had been a Beater on the Ravenclaw school team a year ahead of James and Sirius. "I swear I hit him maybe twice in five years. He was just fast." Sirius remembered that well. James had never been one for fancy tricks and deception. He just pushed his broom faster and turned sharper than anyone else dared to. Lily could barely watch the matches while they were dating.

"Harry's bound and determined to be the same way," Sirius said with a smile. "Tell him anything about his parents and he'll say he's doing the same. Imagine Lily in the classroom mixed with James on the Quidditch pitch or dueling circle."

John laughed and took another drink of beer. "Everyone in Hogwarts will spend all their time just trying to catch up to him. My niece will be in the same year you know."

"Everyone's got an oldest in the same year," Sirius said with a laugh. "Everyone got worried at the same time and though 'fuck it, can't wait.'"

"All except us."

"Nahhh," Sirius said. "We got twice as busy, just used the charm."

Sirius and John clinked their beers together. "They started giving me discounts at the place just outside Hogsmeade," John said. "There was this brunette that worked there. Longest legs you've ever seen."

"What's it called?" Sirius asked. "The Wand Holster?"

"Still either the greatest or the worst name I've ever heard," John said. Suddenly both men ducked as Harry buzzed them flying as fast as he could. His laughter trailed behind him. "You know, I've sometimes wondered if Harry will be in Hannah's year at all. They say he's been at Hogwarts for years and with the pictures on the last Prophet people have been talking."

One of the Daily Prophet's top reporters, a woman named Rita Skeeter, had somehow got pictures of Harry practicing second-year spells at this same property under Dumbledore's tutelage. The amount of speculation about Harry Potter had increased fivefold overnight.

"Well Dumbledore is Harry's actual guardian," Sirius said. "I just watch him sometimes when I'm off duty." Sirius actually had his godson roughly a third of the time. "And Dumbledore basically lives at Hogwarts so it's where Harry lives most of the time too. But he goes to the ICW's school, not taking early classes at Hogwarts."

"I remember when Dumbledore got permission to give Harry an early temporary wand," John said. As Lord Abott and a member of the Progression Party, he took a semi-active role in politics. "Cited self-defense purposes."

"Half of You-Know-Who's surviving followers are out of prison right now," Sirius said. "Dumbledore thought that when Harry gets older and has a more public life he may face some threats from them." Sirius decided not to bring up the fact that Dumbledore was convinced that the Dark Lord was still alive and was the real threat Harry may face. "He decided a little early training was best. But Harry will still start Hogwarts at eleven."

John nodded absently, watching Harry. "If he wants to match Lily at Hogwarts Merlin knows he needs the head start."

"Especially if he wants to spend half his time playing Quidditch," Sirius agreed.

"You said he wants to be like his dad too. That mean he's doing the junior dueling circuits like James?" John inquired.

Sirius shrugged. "Haven't really thought about that. He can decide when he's thirteen."

John let it go at that and switched the topic to talk about Quidditch. "My brother was at the Arrows game the other day. He's a season ticket holder."

All season long the Appleby Arrows and Montrose Magpies had been leading the league neck and neck. When the two teams finally met directly in the third to final game of the season it was largely considered to be the game to decide who won the league. The Arrows had triumphed 780 to 750, only to stumble and lose the very next game to the struggling Tutshill Tornados, letting Montrose back into the race. Now it would come down to the very last weekend and possibly a tiebreaker afterwards. "I'm sure that was a tough pill to swallow," Sirius said. "Nobody saw that coming."

"Delphine said he was practically comatose the rest of the night."

Sirius laughed. "Boys. When are we going to learn that Quidditch isn't the end of the world?"

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"Turn your body sideways, like this. It makes you harder to hit."

"Yes Aunt McGonagall," Harry said. As it happened, Harry did in fact want to duel in the junior circuits like his father, and so McGonagall and Flitwick both agreed to give him a few lessons in their spare time.

Sirius stood off to the side. He never fought in the circuits and hadn't formally dueled in years. Aurors don't duel, they fight.

"Try to hit me," McGonagall commanded. Harry obliged her as best he could, but his stream of disarmers, stunners, and other minor jinxes were all either blocked or deflected. Eventually, McGonagall took three long strides forwards and had her wand directly in Harry's face. "Move. That is your first lesson. Any dueler with his feet planted in the ground will lose."

Harry nodded in understanding and McGonagall backed up to stand in her original spot. When they started again Harry started moving in a circle and McGonagall mimicked his movements. Anytime Harry stood still for more than a few seconds she made sure to hit him with a tickling charm. Sirius shouted his encouragement, though of course little nine-year-old Harry was never hitting somebody as experienced as McGonagall unless she let him. Eventually, the Transfiguration teacher did just that and "failed" to deflect a hair-dying charm. Her bun turned bright blue.

"You're getting the idea," she praised, turning her hair back to its normal color. "Take a break for now."

Harry immediately ran and jumped on Sirius's stomach, who had been lying down on a couch he'd conjured in the Great Hall. The steady beat of rain outside provided a relaxing atmosphere.

Sirius let out an "oof" as the wind was knocked out of him and Harry tried to hold Sirius's hands above his head. "I got you," Harry said.

Sirius quickly ran through all the ways he could turn the situation on Harry without hurting his godson. Aurors were given hand-to-hand training without wands and Sirius had a solid fifty kilograms on Harry. He overpowered Harry, who tried and failed to keep Sirius's hands held away from his body and grabbed both of Harry's wrists. Now that his godson was defenseless Sirius started a relentless tickle assault.

"No, stop, stop," Harry squealed in between laughs. Sirius stopped for a moment and Harry mock glared at him. "You cheated."

"How did I cheat?" Sirius asked. "I didn't even use magic."

"You're bigger."

"That's not cheating," Sirius said as he picked Harry up and held him upside down over his shoulder. "That's called an advantage. In the circuit your opponents will have advantages too."

Harry was breathless from laughing and had difficulty getting words out as Sirius ran around the hall, still carrying Harry. McGonagall didn't know whether she should laugh or be disappointed in Sirius for acting so childish. "C'mon Minny!" Sirius cried. "Show us those teeth!"

McGonagall shook her head but laughed regardless. "When will I stop needing to tell you not to call me by that ridiculous nickname?"

"When I grow up," Sirius said with a shit-eating grin.

"Never!" Harry said. Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall, back from a meeting with the school board. "Hi Grandfather!" Harry waved.

Dumbledore summoned Harry out of Sirius's grip so he was floating in front of Dumbledore. "You appear to be upside down my boy," Dumbledore observed, flipping Harry over so he was right side up.

"Pass him back Dumbledore," Sirius said, brandishing his wand. With a smile, Dumbledore sent Harry back towards his godfather.

"Wheeee!" Harry said, still breathless from laughing. Sirius caught his godson and banished him back towards Dumbledore. Harry's "grandfather" caught Harry in the air and levitated him up towards the ceiling.

"Albus," McGonagall said. "Put the boy down before he gets hurt."

Sirius sighed as Dumbledore complied. "You're still no fun Minny."

McGonagall turned and pointed her wand at Sirius. "And you, Mr. Black, are still not allowed to call me that."

Sirius stuck his hands up in sarcastic mock surrender. Even McGonagall had to smile. "Let's go again Harry. This time, try not to walk in a perfect circle the whole time."

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Harry knew exactly how long to wait after years of sneaking up at night. Fawkes would squawk once when it was time to be fed, and once again after he was done. Dumbledore always gave his companion a little more. Then there would be a few thumps as his grandfather would put his heavy equipment back in their cabinets, and a couple more minutes until Dumbledore would be in his bed.

Harry's room had a door connecting it to Dumbledore's but grandfather was an old man and old men need a lot of sleep. Harry tiptoed out the door as quietly as possible with the Potter grimoire. The way out of his room was a stairwell next to the way up to grandfather's office. "Charlus," he whispered to the griffin at the base of the stairwell. He always set the password to be the name of a family member he read about in the grimoire.

The first few times Harry had snuck out after bedtime he was certain that grandfather would hear the grinding of the statue as it moved out of the way, but Dumbledore never seemed to hear. There were several empty classrooms in the corridor just adjacent. Grandfather said that there used to be more students enrolled at Hogwarts but fewer wizarding children were born recently. When Harry asked how babies were born, grandfather hadn't given an answer.

Sometimes Harry explored the castle. At first he was scared to get lost, or that a ghost would find him. But eventually he learned the corridors well enough not to get lost, and most of the ghosts were actually really nice. Even the scary ones like the Bloody Baron left him alone. But that night Harry just wanted to practice some magic. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of learning magic. It was always wondrous and never boring like math or science at school. In two years school would be at Hogwarts and he could learn magic all the time.

Harry opened the grimoire to the section on family magic. He had begged grandfather and even Sirius or Aunt McGonagall to teach him some. Just one of his family spells. But they all said that they didn't know the spells so they couldn't teach him, and anyways family magic was always too complex for Harry still. He tried teaching himself a few anyways, but only ever succeeded in blowing up a few desks and spent hours trying to hide all the splinters in a corner before evacuating the crime scene. Still, he liked to imagine.

Harry was actually working on the engorgement charm. Uncle Filius said that Harry's mother was one of his best students, so Harry wanted to be good at charms too. The issue was, Harry found Transfiguration easier. He could already turn a drinking glass into a chick. But he wanted to make his mother proud so he needed to learn the engorgement charm.

Three misshapen desks later, and the charm was still just as difficult to learn.

Dumbledore found as he got older that less and less sleep was necessary. The proximity charm he put on Harry's stairwell went off the same time it did every night. Using the Marauder's fabulous map he was able to keep easy track of his charge. Harry was going to his usual classroom to practice magic. Dumbledore would ask the portraits hanging on the corridor which spells the next day. In a few ways, Harry was like every nine-year-old. They all thought that they were tricky.

Another day, another short chapter. Sirius has quite a fight ahead of him to get Harry named Heir, take a guess how it'll get solved. Harry's gaining fame as Dumbledore's little student, but he's not good enough to trick grandfather yet.

Let me know if you're liking how the story is progressing. The chapters will get a little longer now, so don't expect an upload for a few days.