Chapter 12: Returning home and off to France
The evening after the final competition, the students from the different magical institutions gathered in the banquet hall. All of whom were speaking with their fellow international witches and wizards, talking about what made the schools they attended so appealing.
Off to the side was Harry, who leaned against the wall with a glass of butterbeer in his hand as he conversed with Andromeda. "Seems like you're going to be busy this summer. The Flamels are highly exceptional when it comes to different branches of magic, including the archaic branches. Several witches and wizards would kill for the opportunity to learn under them. If employers know you've been allowed to study under the Flamels, they will almost certainly welcome you with open arms."
"That would be brilliant. But I want to be judged fairly without any outside influence and be sure I have properly earned it," said Harry, who sipped her butterbeer. "Jobs like the ones at the I.C.W and DoM look at a person's accomplishments, see if their skills and talents are exceptional, have the right disposition, etc. Of course, I will have to prove myself."
"Agreed. Glad to see you are unwilling to take the easy way out, as that will be a mark of laziness," Andromeda replied. She could hear his voice's dedication and willingness to work hard for what he wanted. That is a trait many people his age, especially the heirs and heiresses in Britain, have been lacking in recent years. A great many of them were lazy and unmotivated, willing to use their family's influence to get by. Something the more traditional Lords and Ladies held onto abhorred. She did, however, know what his stance was. "What would you consider yourself to be?"
Harry briefly narrowed his eyes at the shrewd question. "I can be classified as either a dark or grey person who values the traditions set forth by the witches and wizards of the old. That said, I am not arrogant or self-righteous enough to be a supremacist who only thinks that purebloods are the most powerful and deserving. My own mum was a muggle-born. She was an extraordinary witch who became the brightest witch of her age, got top grades in her classes, earned a Mastery in Charms and Potions, and was extremely powerful," he explained. "While I do value the traditions, I also believe in progress. Anyone with eyes and a brain will know that those who can perform magic are superior to muggles. But that does not give us the excuse to attack them."
Judging his words for a few minutes, Andromeda eventually nodded in acknowledgment. Deep down, she was glad Harry was not a fanatic or supremacist like her sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa. While she loved her sister dearly, she was not blind to their faults. Bellatrix had become something unrecognizable after her sixth year when she started hanging around the Lestrange brothers (later marrying Rudolphus Lestrange), Dolohov, and a fair number of future Death Eaters, and later became Voldemort's right hand. Narcissa might be a supremacist, but she is nothing like her husband Lucius and the other Death Eaters who pleaded to be under the imperius curse during the First War. She never took the Dark Mark nor became a Death Eater. Haughty and conceited, yes. But not a murderer. She wanted to become a businesswoman after Hogwarts, but that changed when their father married her off to the Malfoys. Her grandfather often cursed his son for allowing Lucius to marry into the family.
"I can live with that," Andromeda said, drinking some of her Firewhiskey. "I heard from one of your friends, Mr. Walker, that y'all's company will be releasing some new products next month." The topic of conversation changed.
"We are," he confirmed. "Prices are soaring, and our products are in high demand. We estimate that our business will have earned between 38 to 43 million galleons by the end of the year."
Andromeda gave a low, impressed whistle. She would have said more, but the music started playing, signaling the Award Ceremony was about to begin. "We can talk more later. For now, go be with your classmates," seeing that the representatives were already making their way to the center of the hall as the Moscow Minister of Magic made his way to the podium.
He handed her his glass and went to join his fellow representatives. As soon as everyone stood with their respective schools, the minister amplified his voice with sonorous charm. "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the 449th Award Ceremony. Before we begin, I would like to congratulate everyone for their impressive skills over the past several days. The committee and I were very impressed with this year's competitors and matchups. We can undoubtedly say that a handful of you will have promising futures. Congrats to you all who competed to the best of your abilities, and we hope to see more from you in the future."
The applause from the students and teachers who accompanied them rang throughout the hall. "Now, without further ado, it is my honor to present this year's first place to the Deputy Headmistress of Merlin's Magical Academy, Professor Lorena Claire. Professor, if you please," the man said, holding this year's first-place trophy.
Professor Claire walked up the stage and accepted the award as her students clapped their hands and congratulated each other. In second place was Mahoutokoro of Japan. Third place went to Castelobruxo. Fourth place to Uagadou. And finally, Ilvermorny got fifth place. "Well done to all of you, and please enjoy your last night here." The man then used the quietus spell to return his voice to normal.
The crowd dispersed into several groups. "We won!" Andrew exclaimed when he and the others found their corner. "Tonight is our night!"
"I hear that," an equally happy Jade agreed. "For our last day, I say we use the sauna and that large indoor onsen bath. What do you say, ladies?"
"I'm in!" Natalie and Sophie said in unison.
The boys only rolled their eyes in amusement. Jeremy said, "I bet there will be a party to celebrate this year's victory by the end of classes on Friday."
"I put money on that," a grin formed on Harry's face. "But for now, I say we just enjoy tonight."
No one disagreed with him, and the crew mingled with the others. Harry returned to Andromeda, where they finished their discussion before she had to head home. Harry wanted to join her, but she insisted he remain with his friends and classmates for the night. Reluctantly, he agreed. The two hugged goodbye, and she vacated the area. For the rest of the night, the students from Merlin's Academy were in high spirits as they had a joyous meal before heading to the baths. The girls happily took advantage of the large indoor bath and sauna, enjoying some girl time while the boys returned to their suite. After changing into their night clothes, Harry went to the kitchen while Jeremy opened the door when someone knocked.
Harry didn't need to look to see who it was; he only pulled out six bottles of protein milk and went to the sitting area.
Much like the boys, the girls were also in their nightgowns. Harry passed them all a bottle of milk before raising his. "I'd like to propose a toast to us for being allowed to compete and help our school win this year's International Magical Tournament. To the Ouroboros Squad!"
"To the Ouroboros Squad!" They all cheered, bringing their bottles together and taking a drink.
"I cannot wait to head home," said Natalie, who sat on the sofa. "We have little more of a month left of school, then it will be time for a well-earned vacation."
"I like the sound of that," Sophie chimed. "It will be good to relax a little before we start studying for our O.W.L.s."
"Ugh," Andrew groaned. "Don't even get me started on those. I heard some of the older students talking about them and the N.E.W.T.s, and they are not looking forward to those exams. Want my advice? Create a schedule planner and ensure you do all your essays before they pile up on you."
"Here, here. That's my plan," Harry agreed. "But we also have to remember that it is the quality of how we study and practice what we need to know. If we divert all our energy to merely studying and practicing what is given to us in class, we won't get far."
"Learning in a classroom setting is one thing and may help some people. But there are other methods that can be used for retaining information and getting better," Natalie remembered the discussion she and Harry had in the research lab when he was helping her study for a potion exam. Instead of working harder, work smarter," flashing him an appreciative smile, which he returned.
"Indeed," nodding his head. "Now, let's get some sleep for the night because after breakfast tomorrow, we're heading back to school."
(00)
June came by sooner than most would have liked, with the first week passing by relatively quickly. Nymphadora Tonks got up at the sound of her alarm, feeling a little stiff from yesterday's events at the Auror Academy. Becoming an Auror had been her goal since entering her second term at Hogwarts, and she had devoted her time to ensuring that dream became a reality. While at Hogwarts, she achieved high marks in her classes, albeit one or two subjects were more difficult than others. She managed to get the scores needed to enter the Auror Academy after her seventh year. She achieved twelve O.W.L.s and ten N.E.W.T.s, which impressed her family. . .and surprisingly, Lord Black. Hell, even Severus was left without words when he saw her results.
Her mum and Lord Black had been the most helpful in helping her prepare. What still surprised her was that Lord Black was even willing to help her with things like martial magic, occlumency, and a handful of other things whenever she would struggle. She still suspected that her mum and Sirius had something to do with that but never voiced it. When the latter asked her if she wanted him to talk to Amelia about pulling some strings so she could join the Corp early, she told him: hell no and not to interfere. This was something she wanted to feel like she had earned, and she didn't want special treatment. It was even funnier when Amelia found out. Amelia had given her husband a severe tongue lashing, chased him around the grounds of Black Manor, hurling hexes and curses at him, and made him sleep on the living room couch for a week. Poor Sirius would wake up stiff and could not sit right for nearly two weeks.
She had always known that Amelia was not one to be crossed and could definitely understand why and how she became the Director. The woman was bloody dangerous with a wand, did not take anyone's bullshit, and took her job very seriously. Among the sixteen new recruits, Nymphadora had quickly proven to be the top of her classes. After the end of her third year, her mum recommended that she learn to fight like a muggle in case she ever found herself in a situation without her wand. So, she signed up for Taekwondo and Krav Maga, earning a fourth-degree black belt in the former and a third-degree in the latter. And they came in handy on many occasions, especially at Hogwarts. Thanks to her dueling sessions with her mum and Lord Black, incorporating the aspects and principles of those two muggle fighting forms into her dueling style got the attention of Alastor Moody. The grizzled man was the best Auror the ministry had in years. He fought in the Great War against Grindelwald's forces, then later in the war against Voldemort, was responsible for filling more than half of the cells of Azkaban with Death Eaters, and was mentored by Lord Potter and Lord Black. Impressed with her skills and talents, he decided to take her on as his protégé. Something she was both excited and weary about as he was a real taskmaster. He'd definitely been putting her through the wringer with his Auror training.
Nymphadora went for a shower, put on her Auror uniform, and went downstairs, where she found her mum at the table with this morning's issue from the Daily Prophet and a cup of coffee. "Morning, Mum," she said, pouring herself some coffee and taking a seat beside her. "Dad's not here?"
"Afraid not," Andromeda put the paper down and slid it over to her daughter so she could read it. "He had to go in early today. What's your schedule like for the day?"
"Old Mad-Eye is going to teach me some Auror spells and tactics, take me through the usual Auror training regime, and review old case files," she replied, filling her plate with scrambled eggs, three strips of bacon, and putting some strawberry jam on her toast. "Sometimes I cannot tell if he is trying to help me improve or just want to torture me." Andromeda only giggled as she knew Alastor was not one to cut corners when it came to her Auror training.
"Well, tomorrow's Friday, and you get out early. Just try to hang in there," the smile on her face did not fade.
"I know you're enjoying this," Dora grumbled, shooting her a look. She finished her breakfast and drank the last of her coffee before getting her bag off the couch. "Later."
Exiting her house, she walked past the wards surrounding the property and Apparated to the ministry. She appeared on the street of Whitehall in muggle London, where she headed to the secret underground entrance of the ministry. Entering the women's restroom with a few other witches, Nymphadora used one of the toilet stalls to Floo into the atrium of the ministry. As expected, there was a crowd of people already present, each heading to their different departments with more either apparating or flooing in. This was a normal occurrence, and she was mentally glad to have made it before the morning rush came in; that would have been a real pain in the arse.
She strolled through the atrium to the elevators, entering one with a group of people, and she pressed the button for the floor of the Auror Office. Riding the elevator down to the desired floor, she stepped off with a few others when it stopped, and the gate opened. Silently entering the office, she walked past a few cubicles where the other Aurors were stationed to the locker room. There, she approached her locker and removed the wards and various locking charms around it.
"Wotcher, Kingsley, Moody. You guys okay?" She inquired when they entered the locker room, looking annoyed and severely agitated. Alastor more than Kingsley as the latter hid his displeasure behind a cool, stoic mask. Senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of the best Aurors in the entire Law Enforcement Department. Alastor, however, was angrily muttering about corruption, the incompetence of the Office of the Minister of Magic, and some other things she could make out. But didn't need to, as the expression on his face and swearing from him told her he was not happy. "Do I dare ask what happened to put him in such a mood?"
The question was directed at Kingsley, who let out a breath as his friend/fellow Auror left the locker room. "Alastor, Director Black, Head Auror Scrimgeour, and I just got out of a meeting with the Minister of Magic. Lord Malfoy and Madam Umbridge were. . .unfortunately present and quite vocal. So you can probably guess how that turned out. . ."
"A real headache and pain in the arse," she finished, rolling her eyes, understanding why her mentor was in such a mood. She had heard about Lucius Malfoy from various family members and how he was pardoned for being 'imperiused' during the war with Voldemort. The newly appointed Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Delores Jane Umbridge, was another matter as the woman looked like a toad and was right bitch. She knew for a fact that Amelia absolutely loathed the woman with a passion, silently wishing she could chuck the woman into Azkaban or curse her into the next century.
"Exactly. And Alastor is pretty pissed, the same with Amelia," sucking in a breath. Amelia had been trying to get more funding for the Auror Department. Yet, Fudge denied her at every turn with him, claiming that the ministry did not have the funds to give. Dragons dung, in his opinion. The Law Enforcement and Auror offices were understaffed, and several Aurors were underqualified. A handful of the new recruits were only achieving the bare minimum. "Here's some advice: Do not push Alastor today."
"Thanks for the advice, Kings," giving him a grateful grin before leaving.
The first half of her day until lunch was brutal, to say the least, as Mad-Eye had been putting her through her paces. She learned that whenever her mentor was in a foul mood, so was everyone else. That lesson was learned relatively quickly; Moody was pissed by whatever occurred during the meeting. By the time lunch rolled around, Dora felt like she was in the lowest pits of hell, and her legs felt like they were made of jelly. Somehow, she managed to carry herself to the ministry cafeteria after grabbing her lunch the Auror secretary brought in from that Chinese restaurant in Diagon Alley. Ching's Cuisine. Within the past two months since its grand opening, the Chinese restaurant has become one of the most popular restaurants in Diagon Alley alongside the new Italian place. Luigi's Italian Delight. The food made there was purely Italian. In the past, there were only two places where a witch or wizard could go eat: the Leaky Cauldron and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Rumor had it that the Parlour's owner had gotten a new investor and renovated his shop, making it look like it belonged in the modern era.
Sitting at an open table, she opened her to-go box, pulled out her chopsticks, and dug into her Chow Mein. Man, her muscles were sore. Thank Merlin that the only thing she had left to do today is review the old case files. While she strictly abhorred paperwork and was more of an active type of person, this would give her some breathing room and help relax her muscles.
Halfway through her lunch period, Nymphadora's attention was drawn to an unfamiliar owl flying straight toward her. She eyed the owl wearily but nevertheless untied the letter attached to its outstretched leg. The bird accepted the water she gave it before taking off. Cautiously, she opened the envelope addressed to her and pulled out the letter.
Dear Nymphadora Tonks,
Hello, Dora. I do not know if you remember me since it's been a handful of years since we've seen each other, but this is Harry Potter. We used to pull pranks on Sirius. Of course, he would always try to get us back. We would play in the garden behind Potter Manor. I'm sorry for not keeping in touch; it's just that a lot has happened.
You will never guess who I ran into while I was in Moscow? Your Mum, Andromeda. Yeah, I was completely surprised, as we hadn't seen each other in years. But I guess anything can happen. She even let me stay with her while the I.M.T was going on. During my time with her, she told me you joined the Auror Academy and are now applying under Mad-Eye Moody. Congratulations on making it into the Academy. I know that couldn't have been easy, nor can being an apprentice under the old geezer be a walk in the park. From what I heard, he can be a real slave driver when it comes to training. Probably because the Ministry Aurors are incompetent shit stains, according to Uncle Arcturus.
Still, the idea of you joining the Corp is surprising, though not unexpected. It must be fun having to go on raids and putting criminals away. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck while going through the Auror process and hope we can speak again. Take care of yourself, and when you see Sirius play a prank on him for me.
Best wishes,
Harry James Potter
A few tears fell down her face as she was torn between amusement and bewilderment. It may have been a little over six years, but of course, she remembered Harry. The two were inseparable before Lord Potter and Lord Black took him to live out of the country, and she still missed him greatly. She never forgave them for taking away her closest friend. Yet, she understood they only wanted to protect him from Dumbledore and his influence. But that did not mean she was happy with the decision. Without Sirius telling her, she would never have learned that Lord Potter and Harry had moved to the States. Speaking of her cousin, he made her promise not to speak of this to anyone, especially not to Lord Black or anywhere where Dumbledore might have some followers.
Sirius had stressed the importance of the matter, claiming that she was not supposed to know and that Lord Black would be livid if Harry's location got out. He was more worried about what the old goat would do with the information. Unable to put her foot on it, she had the feeling that there was another reason why they loathed Dumbledore so fiercely. Her thoughts then drifted back to the letter, where she reread it. Resolving herself, she made a mental note to write back to Harry when she got the chance. But first, she needed to pull a prank and have a talk with Sirius. Secretly, she was glad at the opportunity to get back at him. His last prank had made her look like a chicken and sneeze for a full day. If Sirius wanted to play, then she'll play. A devious smile appeared on her face.
(00)
In the Hogwarts Great Hall, students from first to third year were sitting in groups after their classes had ended that day to revise for their final exams. Susan was studying with her friends, Hannah, Daphne, Tracey, and Padma at the Hufflepuff table. The auburn-haired badger released a sigh, tearing her eyes away from her notes for Transfiguration. "Ugh, I wish Harry was here. He could make understanding this a lot better," she mentally groaned. Transfigurations was his area of expertise. In Transfigurations, she was averaging between low and mid-Exceeds Expectations.
"Come on, let's take a break," Susan suggested. Hannah groaned in agreement as she closed her book.
"I'm with that," she said, massaging her temples.
The others agreed to take a fifteen-minute break. Tracey extended her arms in the air, stretching out her entire body, which had become stiff.
"I cannot wait for this school year to be over. Soon, I will be able to sleep in," the brunette was not a morning person. Daphne resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her best friend's comment as she sympathized with her. She despised having to get up in the morning.
"What do you guys have planned for the summer?" The blonde Slytherin asked.
"I won't be back from France until the 2nd of August." Susan was really excited about the idea of being able to go. More than that, she wanted to meet the Flamels, visit the different magical and muggle attractions, and spend time with Harry and Lauren. Harry invited her to join him there while he studies under Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle.
"That should be an adventure," Hannah commented with a big smile. "Still can't believe you'll get the chance to meet the Flamels. I'm so jealous."
"Plus, you will get to check out the boutiques," Tracey quipped. "I hear France is one of the most beautiful places to visit during the summer."
A small giggle escaped their lips. Susan then added, "I also get to spend some time with Lauren and Harry. Since he goes to another school, I only get to see him during the holidays or through our communicators. Gotta say these things are pretty handy to have," she said, looking at her watch.
"You never did say why he was sent somewhere else," Padma inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, what's the big secret here?"
Susan shook her head. She remembered her aunt telling her it was a big mess in the Wizengamot at the beginning of the school year. "Sorry, can't tell you that. The only one who could say anything about where he is and why is him."
"Though, he will be competing in the Under-14 Dueling Tournament this year before he leaves."
Daphne raised an eyebrow after noticing her not-so-subtle smile. "You seem so sure he will win," it was a statement rather than an inquiry. Sue Li, Zacharias Smith, and perhaps a few of the older students will be competing in this year's tournament.
"Trust me, if you've seen how skilled he is in martial magic, then you'd be left with a loss of words." A light smirk tugged against her lips. "I know Harry and can tell you he is neither a nerd nor loud and reckless. Let's just say that he knows what he is doing when it comes to dueling."
"Well, now I am even more intrigued," Tracey grunted. "I'll be honest; a small part of me figured he'd end up in Gryffindor should he be sent here. But the way you talk about him makes me think otherwise. He sounds like a Ravenclaw or Slytherin."
"Watch the dueling tournament, and you'll get an idea of what he's like," was all she said on the topic.
(00)
Finally, the last day of school was here. The students would be going home today. Hannah and Susan went to pick up their end-of-the-year results from their Head of House's office. While walking toward the Great Hall, Susan pulled out her results from the envelope and pressed the black dot at the bottom right to make it reveal the numerical scores.
Pass Grades: Fail Grades:
Outstanding (O) Poor (P)
Exceeds Expectations (EE) Dreadful (D)
Acceptable (A) Troll (T)
The Results of Susan Amelia Bones First Year:
Charms: O (94)
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (92)
Transfiguration: O (93)
Herbology: EE (88)
History of Magic: EE (84)
Astronomy: EE (84)
Potions: O (92)
Signed, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Susan mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she did an overall good job. She was surprised to see that she earned an Outstanding in Transfigurations and Potions class, believing she'd get nothing higher than an Exceeds Expectations, but thanks to Harry's advice about utilizing different study methods, she seemed to do better than expected. Speaking of which, she needed to send him a message soon. As for Hannah, she did well too, though she received an Acceptable in both Astronomy and History of Magic and had more Exceeds Expectations than Outstandings.
When they arrived at the Hall entrance, a crowd of students was already present, looking at the wall opposite of the large doors. They were checking to see where they ranked for the year, and unsurprisingly, Hermione Granger was in front. The classes and overall rankings were posted on the wall. The first years present were more interested in their overall ranking than anything else.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Overall First-Year Rankings:
1. Hermione Granger
Daphne Greengrass/Padma Patil
Sue Li
Blaise Zabini
Tracey Davis
Susan Bones
Lisa Turpin
Terry Boot
Michael Corner
Hannah Abbot
"All things considered, sixth place is pretty good,"Susan thought. She managed to score in the top ten for her overall year.
Activating her communicator, she sent Harry a quick message, even though she was sure he was still asleep, with Britain being eight hours ahead. After checking where she ranked in her classes, she went inside the Hall with Hannah, following close behind with Daphne and Tracey. Daphne and Tracey shook their heads and rolled their eyes in annoyance at the arrogant expression on Granger's face. They had no desire to hear her parade the idea of being the best student in her year.
"Look at it this way: you beat her in Potions and Charms. That should count for something," Susan offered to Daphne.
Once all the students were seated at their respective House tables in the Great Hall, Dumbledore began his customary end-of-the-year speech by announcing the points for each House. The Slytherin were ecstatic when it was announced that they had the most points; however, their good mood quickly evaporated when Dumbledore gave some last-minute points to the Gryffindors. Hermione Granger got 90 points for the use of cool logic. Ronald Weasley earned 90 points for the best-played chess games in Hogwarts has had in many years. Therefore, the Gryffindors were now in the lead with 492 points, thus earning them the house cup. The Hogwarts colors changed from green and silver to red and gold, with the entire Gryffindor house on its feet celebrating their victory.
Meanwhile, a frowning Severus shook hands with a smiling Minerva after receiving the house cup from him. Internally, Severus was seething with rage at the stunt Dumbledore had just pulled. Fortunately, he was not the only one displeased, as the entire Slytherin house was upset with there being a collection of boos and groans from them. Susan shook her head, understanding why Professor Snape was unhappy. Dumbledore pulled an underhanded move so the Gryffindors would win the house cup instead of the Slytherins.
At the end of the morning feast, the students vacated the Hall and headed to the train station in Hogsmeade. Tracey was angrily muttering as they entered a compartment. She wasn't the only one stewing in anger, as Daphne cursed Malfoy and Nott when they tried to approach her. The two fell to the ground crying as their groins were hit with the freezing charm. She was dubbed the Slytherin Ice Queen, and with good reason too.
"That goat cheating. . ." Daphne swore under her breath.
"I don't like it any more than you do, Daphne. What he did was wrong and completely unfair," Susan replied. "Who in their right mind would give a whole bunch of points at the last minute?"
"I think that ship had sailed a long time ago," Padma quipped and then added. "What he did has never been done in the history of Hogwarts by any professor. It was. . ."
"Pure bias!" Daphne and Tracey said together. Daphne continued by saying, "he gave Granger points for use of cool logic. Please now! Since the first day of classes, she's been an arrogant and condescending teacher's pet, strutting around the castle, acting like she's the only one who possesses any knowledge. As for Weasley? He is a lazy, mannerless git who is only average at best. Yet he got points for playing chess?!"
"Look at it this way. We can at least take pride in getting away for a while," Padma said, trying to keep things together. Taking in a breath, she got up. "I'll see you guys later. I gotta go find Parvati," she left the compartment.
At around 5 o'clock, Susan said goodbye to her friends before heading to the storage room with her shrunken trunk in her pocket. The minute she lowered the window's blind and spell-locked the door shut; a familiar avian creature appeared in the room.
"There's my godbrother," she said, hugging him when he transformed into human form.
"You know I have to sleep too, right," he said in a faux angry tone, hugging her back. "How are you doing sis?"
"I had better. The old goat did something underhanded during the house cup award ceremony. I'll tell you the rest when we get home," she said when he looked at her with confusion.
Harry could tell she was still a bit agitated and decided it'd be best not to ask anything about what she meant until they were no longer on the Express. Quickly morphing back into his avian form, she grabbed his tail feathers, and he watered them away to the gates of Bones Manor.
After the first downfall of Voldemort, Sirius was found not guilty of betraying the Potters. Arcturus and Charlus, at the request of Lord Bones, had helped strengthen the protections around his family home. And so, several high-powered wards were added to the property. Sadly, Lord Bones passed away because of Dragon Pox in 1987.
Susan pulled out her key and unlocked the gate as Harry morphed back into a human. She told him about what happened at the end-of-the-year feast as they walked through the garden to the front door. "The man is a bloody cheat!" Susan exclaimed.
Harry threw an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "I know I shouldn't be too mad about this since I'm a Hufflepuff, but it's the principles," letting out a long, exasperated breath.
"Try this," he pulled out his bag of Mini SweeTARTS and offered her some. She took a few in her hand and shoved them in her mouth. "Feel better now?"
"A little," she replied after swallowing them and unlocking the door so they could get inside. "Also, thanks for the advice about using different study methods. I only regret not asking you sooner."
"No problem, and at least you managed to pass your classes and end up in the top ten of your year," he replied as they walked inside the manor. The two were then greeted by the Bones's family house-elf Donner. Unlike most house elves, who usually wore potato sacks, Donner wore a butler uniform similar to the Potter and Black family house elves. The elf greeted them warmly before taking Susan's trunk away to put it in her room.
"Thank you, Donner." Susan and Harry discovered that if a house-elf is shown appreciation and some respect for their hard work, then things will be more positive and receptive between wizards/witches and elves. She plopped herself down on the couch like a sack of potatoes, with Harry following suit. "By the way, I have good news. Sirius and Aunt Amy agreed to let me become an animagus."
"Brilliant," Harry replied with a soft smile. "Would you like some help or advice on how to become an animagus?"
"It'd be appreciated. Anyway, enough about me. How was your year at Merlin's Academy?"
"Pretty good, all things considered. I got to be one of the representatives for this year's International Magical Tournament and help the school win for the first time in a decade," he said, then added. "You will never believe who I ran into over there."
He recounted how he ran into Andromeda at a restaurant while she was in Moscow for her job. He would spend time with her whenever he was finished participating or didn't have to for his division or having meetings and practicing with his fellow representatives. Even got to spend his nights under her care. "All in all, it was nice."
"Andromeda, huh. I've spent time with her and her husband on a handful of occasions. Their daughter, Nymphadora, though she hates her given name, is pretty cool and someone I am quite familiar with," Susan commented. She would said more, but Donder returned with a barn owl on his shoulder. The owl had a letter tied to its leg.
"Young Harry has received an owl letter from Ms. Tonks," Donder said as the owl hopped off his shoulder and flew over to Harry.
"Thank you, little one. Would you like some water? Maybe an owl treat?" He asked the owl while untying the envelope from its leg.
"That would be nice,"the male owl hooted. Harry blinked in surprise as he understood what the owl said.
"Wait. You can understand me? Hold on. How am I able to understand you?" A flabbergasted Harry asked with dozens of questions rolling through his mind.
"Of course, young wizard. All avian creatures can understand how witches and wizards speak regardless of their species. As for how you can understand me, it is because you are an avian yourself. A powerful one at that."
"You mean how I can turn into a Tsunamibird," replied Harry. The owl nodded.
"Um, Harry. What's going on?" a confused Susan asked.
"I think there's more to being an animagus than just possessing the ability to transform into an animal." He explained how he could now understand what all avian creatures can say regardless of their species.
"Dang," was all Susan could say as she was left without any further words.
When Harry asked Donner if he could get the owl some water and maybe a few treats, he agreed, taking the owl into the kitchen. Harry then opened up the envelope, pulled out the letter, and read it:
Dear Harry Potter,
Wotcher Harry. Of course, I remember you. I could never forget the little boy who used to help me pull pranks on Sirius and create mischief around both Potter and Black Manor. To say that I was surprised to hear from you after so long would be considered an understatement, though, at the same time, I was happy. As for not keeping in touch with each other, I believe that goes both ways, as I wanted to write to you but never knew where you were. My parents, Sirius, Lord Potter, Lord Black, and Amelia, kept it super secret. I finally got it from the mutt last week when he arrived at my house to get me to undo my latest prank.
In exchange for undoing the prank, he stressed the importance that neither Lord Black, Lord Potter, or Dumbledore would find out. A fair trade, in my opinion. Between you and me, I also find it hard to trust the old goat, as something about him always rubbed me the wrong way whenever I was summoned to his office. So you're not alone.
My mum said she met someone interesting in Moscow, though she wouldn't say who it was. Though, I guess I now know who. And yeah, I got into the Auror Academy and am apprenticing under Alastor Moody. You're right in saying that he is a real taskmaster. He may be strict when it comes to Auror training, but I understand that he is only trying to help me become aware of what is required. It also helps that he is one of the handful of Aurors who isn't corrupted or a useless yes-man to the Minister of Magic Fudge.
And yeah, I hope to hear from you more in the future.
P.S.: Do not call me Nymphadora. It is either Dora or Tonks.
Kind regards,
Nymphadora Tonks.
Harry laughed as he put the letter down. He wondered what her prank on Sirius was, as it must have been pretty funny.
Harry put the letter in his pocket, and his attention was soon drawn to the emerald flames within the large fireplace. Out of the flames came Sirius and Lauren. Happy to see her brother and sister again, the latter ran over to hug the two.
"Hello to you too, Ren." A light smile tugged Susan's lips as she rubbed the little girl's hair.
"What happened to you?" Harry asked, taking in the sight of his godfather, who looked a little tired. Evidence from the bags under his eyes.
""Don't call me Nymphadora" happened, that's what. The woman is a bloody menace," taking a seat on the couch next to them.
"At the sound of a whistle blowing, Daddy would turn into a chihuahua, dachshund, or a French poodle," Lauren explained. However, she was failing to conceal her smile. Harry and Susan burst out laughing.
Sirius shot his daughter a mock glare before continuing. "Adding insult to injury, I'd brown my underwear whenever I would tell a joke or laugh. It was even worse when it would happen at night while I was sleeping."
"Let me guess. Amelia put you on the couch for ruining the sheets," Harry jokingly inquired. If possible, he and Susan were laughing harder.
"It's not funny," cried Sirius. "She may have won the battle, but now the war," he promised with determination laced in his voice.
(00)
The first nine days of summer came and went quickly. Harry worked on spells and potions with Severus, helping Susan with her summer homework, and exchanged letters with Dora. On the 8th of July, he, Charlus, Susan, and Lauren arrived at the ministry's Department of Magical Transportation after breakfast.
Upon entering the large Floo office, one of the Floo regulators met them with a clipboard in his hands. "Lord Potter," the man offered a respectful bow. "I take it this is everyone?"
"Yes, Arnold. Four for the International Floo travel to the French Ministry of Magic," said Lord Potter.
After verifying their appointment, the man looked through the list of people scheduled to use the International Floo Network today. He led them to another room where a few large fireplaces were ready to be used by anyone wishing to enter or leave the country through the Floo Network. The four went to one of the open fireplaces and were instantly whisked away by the green flames. Only to reappear in the International Floo office of the French Ministry of Magic. The group was then met by the two people they were scheduled to meet upon arrival.
Despite being centuries old, the couple looked like they were in their mid to late fifties with a couple of strands of gray hair. The husband folded his arms and gave a warm smile. "Welcome to France. We've been expecting the four of you. Allow me to introduce my lovely wife, Perenelle," gesturing to the woman beside him.
"Monsieur Potter," she began with a bow to Charlus, who cordially returned the gesture as did the three children that arrived with him. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," the woman said.
"The pleasure is ours, Madame Flamel. We appreciate the invitation you and your husband sent us," Charlus kindly replied. "Unfortunately, I will be unable to stay longer than six days as I have a business to attend to around the continent. So Sirius and Amelia Black will be arriving the day I leave."
"Understandable," Nicolas said. He then looked at the children that accompanied him, namely at the man's grandson. "There is no mistaking who you are, young man. I appreciate the safe return of our stone. You could have kept it for yourself but instead chose to return it. For that, you have my gratitude." He was still not happy after learning what Albus Dumbledore did.
Harry offered a respectful bow after the alchemist gave him one. "The stone was rightfully yours, and I had no claim to it. Allow me to introduce my sisters. This is Susan Bones," gesturing to his left, "and Lauren Black," gesturing to his right. Both of the girls greeted the man and his wife.
"Again, we thank you for letting us come today," Harry smiled. "Would it be possible for my sisters to be given the same education and research privileges as me?"
"Of course. They are welcome to participate if they choose," said Perenelle. Nicolas nodded in agreement.
Nicolas' eyes widened when he looked at his watch. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I believe we should have this discussion elsewhere. If the four of you will follow me, I have a portkey ready to take us to our destination."
He led them to the Department's portkey room, where an enchanted miniature version of a villa sat on a table waiting for them. The children felt the familiar effects of a hook jerking somewhere behind their navels when they placed a hand on the villa and were instantly transported away.
A/N: As I am sure many of you have been waiting for. Nymphadora has finally returned to the story. She and Harry have started exchanging letters and are speaking to each other after so many years. When they will see each other in person again is anyone's guess?
Having returned to Britain, Harry is now back with his family, who have accompanied him to France. They then meet with two extraordinary individuals. Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel.
Sorry about posting this chapter the day after Christmas. Originally, I intended to post it that day, but I was enjoying some quality time with my family.
Next Chapter: The DoM's Research lab & Dueling time