Chapter 7
Summer vacation. They were words that often filled children with delight, and even those who were older looked forward to a break from their studies. At least, most did. Hermione Granger was not one of those. For her, summer brought mostly boredom.
A screaming child broke her maudlin thoughts and she watched as the child's parent tried to appease it with a piece of candy from the jar on the counter. Hermione was doing what she often did during summer vacation, working at her parent's dental office. Both her mother and father were dentists, and they were not able to take the time off while she was home in order to spend the most time with her. She volunteered, mostly out of a sense of filial duty, to spend time with them at the office. Not that she saw a whole lot of them throughout the day. The working hours were mostly packed with clients. Her father worked mostly with adults, her mother handled the children. Hermione worked the front desk.
Hermione did not particularly care for that arrangement. It left her unable to look over her school texts, as the material would be illegal for her to bring into the Muggle world. Instead, she spent much of her summer catching up in the mundane subjects that muggles studied. This was not, particularly, a waste of time. After all, muggle disciplines, especially the sciences, tended to meet up with magic back around the other side. Of course, muggles had not realized this yet, but Hermione had faith in the world she grew up in. Eventually, they would make the connection.
"Hermione, dear," Emma Granger interrupted her daughter's thoughts. "Could you send the next patient back? I've been waiting."
Hermione flushed. She too easily got caught in her thoughts during the summer.
"Of course, mum. I'll have them back in a jiffy."
"So you see father, I hold quite a bit of leverage over several of my peers and my studies are progressing fantastically." Draco looked pleased as he related the year's accomplishments to his father.
"That is very good, Draco." Lucius spoke in measured tones, revealing nothing of his emotions. "I have heard of some of your accomplishments of course, and it does please me to know that you are following in my footsteps." Draco beamed. "However, I do wish that you would make more inroads to the children of the neutrals amongst the Wizengamot. Have you a plan for that?"
Draco's expression faltered just a little. "Of course, father. I've been attempting to balance between those that are neutral and those that come from the conservative families, such as ours. In retrospect, I perhaps have leaned too far towards the conservative ideals whilst at school. With a bit of moderation, I should be able to sway more from the neutral bloc into my circle of influence."
Lucius nodded. "Very good, Draco. Make sure you practice how you will go about doing this. I would like to see a detailed plan from you before the end of the month."
Draco nodded his assent. The blonde haired boy knew that his father loved him, but did miss the occasional show of affection from the man who was his role-model. Lucius spent a lot of time with Draco, helping to mold him into a political cutthroat, so that he may be successful in his future. Lucius, himself, was the party whip for the conservative faction. It was Draco's hope to inherit the spot someday. The connections and relationships that he built now would carry to that time.
"How has it gone for you father, since I saw you last?"
Lucius looked at his son and quickly made a decision that Draco was old enough to start being involved in the actual politics Lucius often discussed with his compatriots.
"It has been complicated, Draco. You know that the death of Sirius Black was reported last summer." Draco nodded. "I have attempted to maneuver our family into place to be able to claim the estate. After all, your mother is a Black, and you hold Black blood as well. It was my hope that these would create a strong claim on whatever there was to inherit.
"There were others, of course, that were attempting the same. Most of those who would have any real claim to the assets are within the Conservative bloc, of course. The Black family was always concerned with the purity of their line and often married like-minded individuals. This led to some spats with members of our party I normally get along quite well with, which has been unusual."
Draco was surprised at the amount of information he was being given, but hastily composed himself and drank in the knowledge that flowed from his father.
"Unfortunately," Lucius continued, "it was all for naught. The Black headship has been claimed and to my great frustration, I've been unable to determine who could have claimed it. Have you any idea who may have had claim, Draco?"
Draco quickly thought through the list of Hogwarts students and their relationship to the Black family. His father had ensured he was well-versed in the histories of prominent families. One never knew when it could be beneficial to know one's relationship to another. A few names came to mind and Draco voiced them to his father.
"Very good, Draco. I, too, thought of both the Greengrasses and the Bellocks. I hold great influence over members of both families and trust that they would have revealed such a monumental change in their status to me. I am led to believe, thus, that it not either of those families that have claimed the Black inheritance."
Draco struggled to think of others who may have claim to the Black estate, but failed to think of any in direct succession from a male line. A new thought, though, flew through his mind and out of his mouth.
"Father, are you quite sure that Sirius Black is indeed dead? After all, in line with Occam, it seems like the easiest explanation is that the only known Black is not, after all, deceased."
Lucius, who began to answer before his son had ceased speaking, suddenly became silent. "That is – quite the idea, Draco. It should have occurred to me. I shall have to look into that. Thank you." Draco felt pleasure tinge his cheeks red. It was a feeling that did not disperse even after his father had dismissed him.
As Draco left, Lucius was left alone to his thoughts.
He could work a bit more on his emotional control, but he is developing into a worthy heir.
"You are naughty – I could tell you wanted me by only the looks you've been giving me all night."
Neville Longbottom was rather enjoying himself at this party of Ruth Pettingill's. His Hogwarts classmate's father was a member of the Loyalist political bloc and one of the wealthier members of the lower house. Ruth's birthday fell during the summer, and Neville had taken the rare opportunity to get away from his Grandmother and her stifling control.
Currently, Neville was locked in a bedroom with Clarissa Fawley, a half-blood of no social standing, which made the current situation substantially less risky. Clarissa was one year below Neville and had had a crush on the Boy-Who-Lived for years. She had bloomed over the last couple years to be one of the better looking 5th years, and Neville had fantasized for the last semester about getting her alone in a broom closet. He had not been afforded the opportunity at Hogwarts, but with time, things always went Neville's way.
"Oh, Neville. Kiss me."
Neville obliged.
Harry had arrived exceptionally early to Platform 9 ¾. This was partly in order to obtain a private car, but mostly to avoid the crowds. Entering the last car he grabbed a compartment and hoping to keep it private, cast a number of locking charms on the door. Sitting down, he found himself reminiscing about his summer.
"You know, Harry, I'm going to miss you terribly while you are away at Hogwarts." Sirius spoke with his back turned from his godson.
"Don't get all emotional on me, you old man," Harry responded with his usual glib style.
Sirius barked a small laugh and turned around. "You're right of course. You need to go to Hogwarts and we decided it a while ago. I just want to tell you though, it has been a privilege to get to know you again. While I may regret how things transpired, you have turned into a young man that both your parents and I can be proud of. I cannot regret that."
This time it was Harry who had to turn away and Sirius' turn to sigh. "Young'ns. Don't know how to compose themselves."
Harry turned back towards his godfather with a smile. "Thank you, Sirius. I'm sorry that I missed the chance to know them, but it is nice to know that I've turned out into something they would not disapprove of."
Remus chose this time to cut into the conversation. "He is right, Harry. Both Sirius and I are consistently amazed by you. I'm going to miss you too." Then, ribbing his friend's son he added, "Well, mostly your – small – contributions to my research."
Harry responded with a hex, starting the last prank war of the summer.
Harry was brought out of his reverie with the sound of his compartment door un-latching. The door opened and a short girl with long platinum blonde hair and a misty expression stood in the entryway.
"Do you mind if I join you? Most elsewhere is full." Her voice had a melodic quality, and Harry found himself interested.
As Harry voiced his acquiescence, he briefly studied the girl before him. She was short, and her hair came down to her waist. He could tell that behind what appeared to be mist, her eyes were a brilliant blue. She was a thin build, and he guessed that she was still developing.
"Hello, I'm –" he began, but he was immediately cut-off.
"Harry Potter. I know."
"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Miss –?" he let the question linger off and quelled his surprise at her knowledge of his identity.
"Lovegood," she answered with a smile. "But you may call me Luna."
She stepped inside the compartment and then closed the door. With a careless twirl of her wand, she re-locked the entrance and then sat down opposite her partner in travel.
"You've a beautiful name, Luna." Harry looked for a way to begin a conversation with the girl who he found more intriguing each passing second. He watched as she pulled out a newspaper and, turning it upside down, began to read.
"Why thank you. My mother gave it to me. I'm sorry to say that your name is rather dull."
Her blunt honesty cut through Harry's confusion and elicited a guffaw. Luna peered over the top of her reading material and asked if he was alright.
Composing himself, Harry responded with a smile. "Quite, thank you. May I ask, Luna, how did you know who I am?"
She smiled and looked straight into the raven-haired boy's eyes. "A name is written all around a person, if you only know how to look."
Harry found himself for an instant lost in her eyes, watching as the misty orbs cleared for a brief moment and a blue like the azure of a shallow sea called him in. The clarity lasted for only a moment, but when Harry shook his head clear, he knew that her name was Luna Hope Lovegood, daughter of Pandora Lovegood.
Luna only smiled at him again. Harry got the feeling she knew exactly what happened.
"You're an interesting one, Luna," he commented before turning back to his own book in wonder. The rest of the trip passed in companionable silence.
"So, now with Prongs Jr. gone, what do we do?" Sirius asked his longtime friend.
"I've given it some thought," Remus responded. "I think that we should work on tracking down Peter. I think that Dumbledore must know something he has not shared to think that Voldemort is still alive. Most of the bastard's followers are imprisoned, but we should try to keep an eye on those that are free. Starting with Peter would allow us the secondary goal of finding some evidence to free you."
"You've got a point there," Sirius responded. "I do not fancy being a convict forever, though I wonder." He paused briefly. "Do you think convict status helps pick up women?"
Remus smiled and shook his head in resignation. "Some things never change, Padfoot, you dog."
"You should get changed into your robes." Luna's melodic speech interrupted Harry's concentration on his book. "We are nearly there," the blonde added when Harry did not respond.
Harry thanked her for the information and marked his place in the book. He lowered his trunk to the floor of the compartment and reaching in, pulled out a clean school robe. Donning it, he re-took his seat and turned his attention once more to his travelling partner.
"Luna Hope Lovegood, huh?" She gave him a knowing smile.
"You're very good, Harry James Potter. Most people do not See when I try to show them."
"May I ask what you did to allow me to know that?"
"You may ask, but a girl is entitled to keep some secrets, no?" she responded coquettishly.
"Perhaps a few, but I get the sense that I will not be able to keep any secrets of my own with you around. I do not think that fair."
"That is exactly how it should be. Do not worry, though, Harry Potter. Few would believe me if I told them." The train squealed as the brakes began to slow the locomotive. Luna stood, and with another lazy wave of her wand, transfigured her outer coat into a Hogwarts robe with practiced ease.
"I look forward to seeing you around at school, Harry Potter," she said with a coy grin as she let herself out of the compartment.
"What a strange bird," Harry murmured to an empty cabin.
Harry sat in wonder as he approached the castle by boat. He shared the small vessel with three others, each of them a new enrollee in the Hogwarts University program. Behind them were some twenty other boats, each with four students, mostly first years, of their own. Ahead in the lead boat sat a single man, the largest that Harry had ever seen.
Hagrid had introduced himself as the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts to all the new arrivals. Harry doubted many would remember the name judging by the number of jaws figuratively on the floor. It was difficult to blame the other newcomers for this. Hagrid must have been between eight and nine feet tall, weighing close to fifty stone. Harry guessed the giant of a man could probably handle whatever game Hogwarts could offer. He had doubted, however, that the boat would be able to handle the man.
He was wrong.
Those musings, however, were in the past as Harry was granted his first view of Hogwarts through the light fog which covered the lake. The castle sat atop a sheer cliff, which plunged directly into the waters of the lake. It was lit by the soft glow of the moon, and candlelight shown through the numerous windows visible from the water. Several towers rose upward into the fog, their tops unable to be made out through the misty obstruction. Harry realized that all conversation had stopped amongst those in the boats, all were held in rapture by the beauty of their new home.
Home. That word had barely existed in Harry's vocabulary during his formative years. Now though, the thought of home brought a small longing to his heart. He found that he was already missing his new family of sorts. Remus, the fellow bookworm and consummate researcher. He would miss Remus' insight, and the late nights the two would stay up together in companionable silence. Sirius, his godfather, a man who never experienced the transition from youth into adulthood. That part of his life had been robbed from him, just as Harry's childhood had been stolen. They understood each other better than any other had understood them.
Now Harry had the opportunity to build another home, one here at the school he would occupy over the course of the next nine months. Doubts crept into his mind, and he ruthlessly squashed them. Knowledge. It was the reason he had come. He had to learn, he had to improve. While Remus had not quite guessed Harry's end goal, Sirius had known from the start. Harry intended to end Voldemort. The revenge he had obtained over the Barton's had been miniscule in comparison.
As his mind ran wild with thoughts, doubts, and justifications, the fleet of boats approached the base of the cliff and Harry once more found his eyes drawn ahead of him. A wide-mouthed cavern lay directly ahead, and it appeared they were being guided into its maw. The darkness of that opening vanished as the boats crossed the threshold into the cave.
Shortly, the boats came to rest at a wide dock, well-lit by dozens of candles. Hagrid exited his boat, which seemed to groan in relief, and called for the attention of all the new arrivals.
"Alright yeh all. I hope that yeh all have so far enjoyed the view of 'ogwarts. From 'ere, we will be climbing a staircase up to the castle." Some grumbling broke out amongst those in the crowd, especially amongst the older students.
"Now, now," Hagrid interrupted the groans. "In the future, yeh will take the carriages straight to the castle as the other students did. Yeh may find that you miss this particular trip, for yeh will not get to do it again.
"Now, we will separate into three groups. First years, over 'ere." The smallest students all gathered around the Gameskeeper. They had composed most of the new arrivals.
Hagrid moved slightly to the side and spoke again. "NEWT students, please gather 'round 'ere."
Harry strode forward and was joined by just three others, all female. As Hagrid organized the last group of University students, Harry briefly introduced himself to his companions, leaving out his family name. He learned they were all three joining Hogwarts in sixth year, placing them one year below Harry. Two of the new students had performed well enough in their local schools to earn admission to Hogwarts, which took talent no matter how late it bloomed. The last had recently moved to England, and had transferred from Damascus.
Short introductions finished, the three fell silent and followed the rest of the students as they entered the circular staircase carved straight through the rock of the cliff.
Several hundred steps later brought the students into an entry hall, where they were met by a number of people Harry assumed were faculty. The first years were led away by a kindly looking woman who sported a gardener's apron and functionally short hair. The University students were greeted by both a severe looking man with midnight black hair and a sallow face and a short, jovial man who looked physically the opposite of Hagrid.
Finally, Harry's small group was approached by two women.
"Hello, my name is Professor Septima Vector. I teach NEWT and University Arithmancy here," the younger woman introduced herself.
Harry catalogued the name and face, this was a teacher he would hopefully know well.
She continued, "I understand that we have you three," she gestured towards the girls, "starting your sixth year here. Welcome, and congratulations on scoring well enough to advance into Hogwarts."
Polite thanks came from the three girls as the other woman stepped forward.
"My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I teach University Transfiguration and Animagus classes. I also server as the Dean of Admissions and Deputy Headmistress here." The three girls quieted in the face of the older woman's august presence. Harry inclined his head in deference to the obviously capable woman. He saw her face soften slightly as she took him in.
"Mr. Potter," she began. Two of the three girls gasped in shock and McGonagall silenced them with a glare. "It has been a long time that I have expected you here. I welcome you to Hogwarts. As we discussed, I will require your presence as we test your ability."
Harry nodded his assent and shot a quick grin at his three companions. "Good luck, ladies."
McGonagall spoke again, "Septima, you may take the Misses to their dorm. Thank you."
The Arithmancy professor led the three girls away, each was stealing glances back at the raven-haired lad as they turned a corner and dipped out of sight.
"Please, follow me, Mr. Potter."
He made a split-second decision. "Please, ma'am, call me Harry."
Her face softened almost unnoticeably once more.
"Very well, Harry. Please, follow me."
It was much later that evening that Harry was shown to the NEWT Lounges and Dormitories located in northeast tower. The testing had been exhaustive, covering topics he had studied both comprehensively and transiently. While tired, Harry remained positive as to the results of his labors.
His lethargy, however, was not going to save him from his new classmates; many of whom filled the common area couches and tables. His entrance garnered a fair number of turning heads.
"Hello again, Harry Potter!" Luna announced brightly, bounding up next to the raven-haired boy.
Harry winced as the murmuring began. "Hi Luna," he returned, "It is good to be seeing you again so soon. Do you know where my room might be?"
"Of course -"
A pompous, mousy-looking boy strode up and interrupted the blonde witch. "Harry Potter, you said? A pleasure to meet you. My name is -"
Repaying the favor for Luna, Harry gave the boy a stare. "Excuse me – the lady was speaking." Turning back to the sixth year he gestured, "You were saying, Luna?"
Harry was not sure that her smile could have become any brighter than it was in that moment. In a quick movement, she grasped his hand and led him towards the stairs.
"The boys' rooms are up this stairwell, Harry. Seventh years will be at the top."
"Thank you, Miss Lovegood. I am quite tired, I expect I shall not be back down tonight. So, I will bid you adieu." He turned to climb the stairs.
"Auf wiedersehen, Harry," came her reply from behind him. A number of eyes, both angry and curious, also followed.
His smile was dampened only in the knowledge that he would not be able to escape whatever suitemates he had been assigned so easily.
The stairwell ended at a hallway. Exiting, Harry found his name outside room C. He quickly perused the names of his suitemates. Two purebloods and either a half-blood or a muggleborn. Harry had heard stories of the Weasleys. Remus and Sirius had both served with Gideon and Fabian in the war. He didn't recognize the surname Thomas, but found himself curious about the last – Zabini.
His curiosity did not have to wait long for satisfaction. Upon entering the dorm, he was addressed by a boy with hair as black as Harry's own.
"I was curious when I saw the nameplate. I could not think of another Potter family in the Wizarding world."
The comment sealed the other's identify in Harry's mind, as he lacked red hair, and was clearly familiar with the wizarding families.
"You must be Zabini," Harry offered his hand which the other took without the slightest hesitation.
"I am, and you're Harry Potter." Harry acknowledged this with a nod of his head. Zabini gestured to the bed across the room. "That one is yours. The elves have already brought your things."
"Thank you," Harry replied, sincerely. He approached his trunk and began a quick inventory to ensure everything was where he left it.
"Have you any advice for someone new to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, intending to keep up some small talk while he completed his task.
"The school is billed as the best in the world, and in many ways it is, so long as you allow it to be," Blaise began. "Natural talent or notoriety can often get someone in, but it is only their personal drive that will see them succeed." There was a small barb in that. Harry ignored it.
Harry nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, I expect to be challenged in classes, otherwise, what would be the point?"
The other boy nodded sagely. "Additionally, it would be wise to find a group of friends. Many of the challenges – have you heard of those?" Harry nodded affirmatively. "Many of the challenges require teamwork."
"Ah, that is somewhat worrying as I imagine those that have been here over the last six years are far advanced with friendships and cliques."
"Yes and no. Obviously, there are those that have already made friendships and have those with whom they compete alongside. However, the challenges are worth enough that there are always openings for those with talent."
"Interesting," Harry replied honestly. "Could you explain what makes the challenges valuable?"
"Well, specifically, the rewards are valuable. They can be anything from rare books or potion ingredients to an extra set of lessons on a subject currently being researched by a professor."
"That does sound valuable. How does your team look, Zabini?" Harry asked with a smile.
"It looks full, for now." The words came jokingly, but the boy's face said they were true.
"Potter this, Potter that. I'm sick of hearing his name. He is probably a talentless hack. He hasn't been here since first year, and now he thinks he can just show up?"
Neville was pacing angrily in the abandoned classroom, ranting, yet again, on the subject of Hogwart's newest arrival.
It was fair to say that Harry Potter's admittance to Hogwarts had been the most interesting thing to happen since Neville himself had started at the school. Naturally, the young Potter heir was a topic of much speculation and gossip. Neville had not felt such a sideshow in a long time. Which was why, Ginevra thought, he was taking it so poorly.
"Neville, it is of no consequence. Harry Potter is a novelty. One which will quickly wear off when we start to win competitions again. Don't spare effort thinking of him."
"Ginevra is right, Neville," Seamus pitched. "There is always something new at Hogwarts. He is just the newest thing at the current moment."
With a snort of distaste Neville relented. "You're right. No one will remember him once we prove he is nothing."
Ginevra and Ron Weasley shared a knowing glance. Neville was too easily thrown off tilt, and would hopefully get over his unproductive fixation on Harry Potter soon.
"Mr. Potter." Harry recognized the voice immediately and knew that the elderly woman behind it would never call him Harry in public.
"Yes ma'am?" he answered immediately, turning to face the Deputy Headmistress.
"I have your schedule. I am pleased to tell you that your tutors had the right of it, and I believe that with just a modicum of extra work you will fit right in with the other seventh years."
Harry gave a slight bow in appreciation of her words. "Thank you ma'am." Taking the schedule from her, he quickly glanced over it.
"Perhaps I will have you in my class next year, Mr. Potter." She turned to leave.
"I wouldn't miss animagus training for the world, Professor," he stated with a smile.
"Damn it, how do you find a man who can hide as a rat?" Sirius punched the table he and Remus sat at in frustration. "He could literally be anywhere!"
Remus gave a noncommittal noise. The two friends had spent the last week checking places that they knew Peter had been familiar with. The exercise was not a complete waste of time, they were at least able to rule several places out. 'That leaves almost the entirety of the country left, if he is even still in Britain,' Remus thought with a bit of pique.
"I mean, it was a long shot to find him in a place so obvious," Sirius continued in frustration. Silence reigned for a while afterwards.
"You know," Remus said. "I'm beginning to think that maybe we only thought we knew Peter all along." He and Sirius refused to call Pettigrew 'Wormtail' as though separating the identity of their friend and their betrayer in their minds.
"You're telling me," Sirius replied, bitterly.
"You know though, I think we may know enough." Sirius looked up at his friend, who continued. "If there was one thing I remember about Peter, it is that he could never stand to be out of the loop. Remember how anxious he used to get if he thought we had planned a prank without him? Hell, we caught him on his way to Minnie's office after that prank on the prefect's bathroom."
Sirius nodded enthusiastically. "You're right. There is no conceivable way that the Peter we knew could be hiding out in the muggle world, or even somewhere far from the Wizarding world. But that doesn't help us too much, after all, he could be hiding in any Wizarding house!"
"Not so much, Sirius. Unless he is being hosted by a Death Eater family, which I doubt, there is no house elf in the country who would let a rat run loose in their master's house."
Sirius agreed. "So we're talking about what, then? He is likely hiding in the house of a muggleborn or half-blood who does not own a house-elf?"
"Or a pureblood who doesn't. In fact, I think that one most likely. Peter always fancied himself above his station. It would amuse him to be a part of a pureblood family."
"Actually, Remus, we are forgetting one thing. There is a time that a house-elf would allow for a rat in the house." Remus looked at Sirius quizzically. Sirius let a moment of dramatic silence play out. "What if the rat was the pet?"
Understanding blossomed in Remus' eyes, but curiosity did too. "He would be an awfully old 'rat' by now, almost to the point of an owner getting suspicious. You may have a point, however. In fact, that 'pet' could have been potentially brought to Hogwarts!"
Even as he said it, Remus thought that the entire line of thought was unlikely, at best, to be true. In his heart of hearts, Sirius did not quite believe it either.
"Well," Sirius started, "I guess we will have to send Harry a letter and tell him to be on the lookout!"
The castle was amazing, and huge. There were seven floors and eight towers, which each had eleven floors. The OWL students were housed in the northwest tower, which was above the bluff Hogwarts had been built atop, and looked out towards the Quidditch Pitch. The NEWT students were in the northeast tower. It overlooked the Black Lake and Hogsmede, as well as the train station, which could be seen beyond the dark body of water.
The other towers on the castle's exterior housed the DADA & Charms classes, the Transfiguration & Enchanting classes, and the Astronomy classes. Additional classrooms linked the exterior walls between each of the towers. Hogwarts also housed a central courtyard, which was surrounded on by the OWL and NEW libraries, and the Restricted Section. The Great Hall split the OWL library in twain, facing towards the entry of Hogwarts, positioned between the towers which housed DADA and Transfiguration. Three interior towers rose up above the courtyard and the three were connected at the ninth floor by a skyway which seemingly floated ninety feet in the air above the courtyard.
The interior towers hosted the University Students, the Staff Tower, and the Headmaster's Tower & Healing Ward, respectively.
Harry spent as much time outside the common area and in exploration of the castle as possible. This activity offered several benefits besides the obvious of familiarizing himself with the routes to his classes. One, he avoided the stares, and sometimes glares, of his classmates. Two, he was not pestered to tell the story of his life, which he was unwilling to speak of. Three, the castle was an explorer's dream!
Secret passages and rooms abounded. Many of these had been found by the Marauders back thirty years ago and Harry found himself retracing their steps. The kitchens were among the first of the secret rooms he visited, where he met many of Hogwart's house elves. Befriending the small creatures, he quickly came to an arrangement with several who were eager to work any extra chores that Harry could find for them. He was not keen on doing his own laundry.
Harry's favourite room, though, was without a doubt the library. He had yet to be able to visit the restricted section, but had found himself wide-eyed and gawking at the sheer number of books in each the OWL and NEWT libraries. Twelve thousand books were in the Potter family library. Hogwarts must have held hundreds of thousands. Seemingly endless rows of books sat on shelves that were several stories tall. Large sliding ladders allowed access to the upper shelves. Speaking with Madame Pince, he discovered that anything published by a Hogwarts student, attendee, or graduate had a copy in the library. The wisdom of literal ages of wizards and witches lay within the library, which Harry considered the Sanctum Sanctorum of Hogwarts.
Dearest,
I write to you to let you know of my first few days at my new home. Hogwarts is everything that you promised it would be. I have already met several of my classmates and have struck acquaintances with the Zabini child and the youngest Weasley boy. I daresay I may have entered into a friendship with a most interesting girl by the last name of Lovegood. Perchance would you know anything about her family?
My days have consisted mostly of re-living adventures of yesteryear. I am beyond happy to report that much of the castle remains as it had during your own residence. I have found my love in the library and look forward to exploring every nook and cranny of the knowledge held there.
I have also begun a daily regimen that I hope will last through the semester and until I can return to you. I have not neglected my physical form, which I know you will appreciate, and will report surrounding that front throughout the year. It is amazing the difference that the ley lines make. I've seen success in casting that I lacked dexterity for in the past, and hope that the success here will be able to be replicated without ley lines by the Winter Solstice.
What have you busied yourself with in my absence? Have you made any progress on your research project? If I or the library here can be of any assistance, you have only need ask. If I have time between my studies I will happily devote time to your desires.
With uncompromised affection,
Harry Potter
"What the hell does this even mean? Has he gone daft?" Sirius tossed the missive to Remus who quickly decoded for the animagus.
"He's telling us that he has started building inroads with his classmates and that he has been exploring the castle. He also says that he is continuing to work out and will let us know how that affects his magical ability. And… oh that's interesting. He has seen more success with his wandless magic!"
"What? Where are you seeing that?" Sirius cut in.
Remus sighed. "Right here, Sirius. Have you ever known Harry to lack dexterity? He's telling us he is using his hands for the magic. He's also said that he is willing to do more research into the four-sided runes using Hogwarts library. That, I will likely take him up on.
"You know, he's quite clever to have written the letter this way, it isn't a bad cover to a cursory glance if someone were to have intercepted it or read it while he was writing."
Sirius only sniffed.
