Saturday, 12th August

Harry allowed Sirius to haul him over to the table to get a plate of treacle tart and forced himself to nod and smile and laugh as his godfather and Mrs Vance regaled him of their skirmishes at Hogwarts.

He was intrigued to find that she'd been in Slytherin a year or two below him, and wondered if Sirius only liked her now because she was an Order member, or if the man truly didn't have any bias towards that House and it just so happened, coincidentally, that the majority of those he did dislike had once been in Slytherin.

Like Severus Snape.

Harry watched the man lurking at the edge of the room, seemingly content with remaining on the fringes of their little get-together. He wondered why Sirius's relationship with the man was so full of contempt - Remus seemed to like him well enough, and if it wasn't because of House rivalries like Harry had initially thought, then it had to be something personal.

From what Sirius had told him, they'd been enemies back in school. Apparently, his father and Snape had truly loathed each other, and Sirius, being James Potter's best friend, had naturally taken that hatred upon himself as well. But if Remus had put old grudges behind him, then why couldn't he? Was it because Snape had been a Slytherin? But Sirius didn't seem to have any issue with Vance, so that couldn't be it. Was it because the man was very clearly a Dark wizard? But his godfather was a Dark wizard too - he was a Black, so he all but had to be even if he refused to use Dark magic.

Perhaps it was because Snape had been a Death Eater first and only changed his mind and became the Order's spy at the very end of the war. It was Dumbledore who had taken him in, so Harry didn't doubt that his reasons for joining the Order were valid… but nor did he believe that a wizard who'd spent his entire life practising the Dark Arts - and more than that, being something of a prodigy - could simply renounce them completely just like that.

Harry knew that he himself sure as hell couldn't.

He wondered if Snape was of a like mind to Rowle and his mother, in that they supported a lot of Voldemort's original goals and had only backed away when he'd started losing his mind and turned to death and destruction. He wondered if he could actually ask the man about it, or if that would get him a one-way ticket to Dumbledore's disapproving frown or Lord Slytherin's murderous clutches - if he still was murderous, that was, but honestly, given the amount of secrets that Albus bloody Dumbledore was undoubtedly keeping, Harry would much rather take his chances with the Dark Lord.

He needed to find some way of testing the Potions Master - especially if he was going to be around him often enough. He didn't want to slip up after all and it'd be… nice to have someone to talk to and ask questions about Dark magic to; someone that he didn't have to hold back with. Maybe he'd even find out what his issue with Sirius was, too.

Waiting until Mrs Vance finished her latest story, Harry stood up and said he was getting another cup of tea. They both nodded, although it was half-hearted at best as Sirius was already launching into a similar story that had Vance snorting into her own cup.

Sliding over to the edge of the room, he came to a stop next to Snape who was very conveniently lurking close enough to the stove that Harry had an excuse if anyone questioned his true motives. Not that anyone would, of course, given that they all seemed to be under the impression he was Dumbledore's Golden Boy - innocent and pure and good.

He nodded at Snape, once, and the man inclined his head ever-so-slightly in response. Harry busiest himself making a fresh pot of tea while he tried to think of some natural, casual way he could question the spy about his true loyalties. He'd only met the man today and the very little that he did know about him mostly came from rumours, but he liked to think that he'd at least figured him out enough to know he'd appreciate companionable silence over small talk and that he very likely would not tolerate inane rambling.

"I had the great misfortune of knowing your Aunt Petunia as a child".

Uh… what?! Harry froze, the teapot half-lowered to the fire ring below as the man next to him suddenly spoke without any warning whatsoever and said that to him like what the fuck?!

"Given that I highly doubt her malice softened over the years, is it safe to assume that she told you nothing about the wizarding world?"

"... You could say that, yeah" Harry slowly replied, his brain already racing miles ahead because-

If Snape knew Petunia, then didn't that mean he knew his mother too? Sirius had mentioned that they'd been friends while at Hogwarts, but he hadn't known that their relationship extended far before that.

"I'm not surprised" he continued, his voice as quiet and as soft as ever, "The Headmaster mentioned that the Dursleys sent you to a muggle boarding school".

"They did". Of sorts.

Snape finally turned to face him, his emotions impassive aside from the briefest spark of curiosity in those dark eyes.

"Then I cannot help but wonder, Mr Potter, just where you learned about magic".

Ah. So this was a fishing expedition then.

"Dumbledore didn't tell you?" Harry asked, surprised, putting down the teapot and glancing over just in time to catch the fleeting look of annoyance that flashed over the man's face. "No, Mr Potter, Dumbledore did not tell me or else I wouldn't be asking you".

His words were short, clipped, and he wondered if it was because he was irritated that Harry had answered his question with a question or because he'd confirmed that the Headmaster was leaving him out of the loop - Either way, this did provide him with the ideal situation to test the man's true loyalties.

"... I had a friend. At the muggle school, I was sent to" he started carefully, "He was a half-blood home-schooled by his mother. He answered my questions, let me borrow his magical textbooks from time to time, got me copies of the Prophet; things like that".

And now for the moment of truth...

"In fact, you probably went to Hogwarts with his uncle" Harry finished, forcibly casual, "Thorfinn Rowle?"

Snape froze.

A split second later, sharp dark eyes were pinning him in place, his expression deliberately blank yet intense in a way that let Harry know he knew exactly who Thorfinn Rowle was - and more specifically, knew exactly what he did too.

"... Is that so?" the man eventually asked, his voice as calm as ever which made Harry reluctantly impressed, "Your friend must have had quite a number of stories to tell you about him".

In other words - just how corrupted by ex-Death Eaters are you?

"He did" he replied, shrugging, "But, you know, obviously with Thorfinn being his uncle and all, he was rather biased so I made sure to read up on, uh… certain topics myself to get the full picture".

"Always a wise decision" Snape said evenly, although Harry didn't miss the brief flash of something in his dark eyes, "It can be very easy to believe everything that you hear, at the detriment of getting the full story. Especially when the person in question is… someone considered trustworthy".

Was he- Was he warning him away from Rowle? Or from Dumbledore?

"I agree completely" Harry replied slowly, "It's always good to get the full picture before forming an opinion on something… or on someone".

Now the man was giving him an almost contemplative look as if the gears in his own mind were starting to turn as well. Before he could say anything, however, there came a third voice.

"Are you terrorising my godson?"

They both blinked and looked away as Sirius marched over, eyeing them suspiciously, but not before Harry caught a glimpse of something vaguely resembling respect on the Potion Master's face.

"Not at all, mutt" Snape retorted, "Now, yourself, on the other hand…"

Harry quickly took a step forward to place himself in between them before his godfather could start.

"Hey, Sirius, why don't you introduce me to the members of the Order again? With everything that's happened lately I've already forgotten some of their names".

His godfather gave him a sceptical look, and then turned back to Snape, no doubt with an undeserving insult on his lips, so Harry grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away before he could say anything.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Oh, nothing much" he replied breezily, glancing around the room for something that would distract him for a while, "He was just asking me about my muggle school. Dumbledore didn't tell him a lot about it, apparently".

Sirius scoffed. "Fishing for information is more like it! Snape is utterly incapable of keeping his nose out of anything!"

"Oh, so he's a lot like you, then?"

"He- What?! No! Merlin, pup, no, that- that bloody git is nothing like-"

"Ah, Harry, there you are, my boy".

Turning, he found Dumbledore walking towards him, a cup of tea in his hands and a grandfatherly smile on his face. It wasn't the distraction he'd have chosen himself, but it would have to do.

"Headmaster" he greeted, tightening his grip around his godfather's arm warningly, "What can we do for you?"

"There's something that I wish to discuss with you, and Sirius and Remus as well if you have the time?"

"Of course" Harry agreed, "Why doesn't Sirius lead you to the drawing room while I go and find Remus?"

"That would be wonderful, my boy. Shall we?"

Sirius gave him a mutinous glare, no doubt fully aware that he was trying to divert his attention from Snape, but Harry simply smiled in response and then went in search of his other honorary godfather.

He was surprised with how his conversation with Snape had gone but he couldn't deny that it was the best possible outcome. At least now, one member of the Order knew he wasn't all sunshine and buttercups, Dumbledore's Golden Boy ready to do anything for the greater bloody good. At least now, one member of the Order knew that he could think for himself - and from what he'd heard, Severus Snape was most certainly the best choice he could have made for revealing that.

Only time would tell which master he'd divulge this new piece of information to, or even if he told anyone at all. If the Headmaster found out that Harry had learned magic from a notoriously Dark family - and the nephew of an infamous Death Eater to boot - then he most certainly would not keep his opinion to himself. Likewise, if Snape told Lord Slytherin…

Well.

Harry wasn't entirely sure how Voldemort would react, but he did know that the man wouldn't keep quiet about it either. Most likely, he'd blackmail Rita Skeeter into writing a particularly damning article about "The Boy Who Lived To Be Evil" or some other such rot that would undermine Dumbledore's authority and cast them both in a bad light.

Or maybe, just maybe, Snape wouldn't tell anyone and Harry would finally have someone to confide his more… unsavoury thoughts in.

Entering the drawing room, Harry spotted Dumbledore seated comfortably on a faded velvet armchair while Sirius paced nearby, somewhat agitated looking - though his expression brightened considerably as Harry and Remus joined them.

"Ah, wonderful" Dumbledore began, putting down his teacup, "Now that we're all here, I'd like to discuss something very important with you, Mr Potter. I've given it a great deal of thought, and of course, I am not ordering you to do anything… but I believe that it would be in your best interest to attend Hogwarts this year".

Harry shifted on his feet, trying his best to keep his expression neutral. He'd expected this, of course - he just hadn't counted on it happening so soon.

"Hogwarts has a unique magic of its own, my boy. I am certain it will not only keep you safe, but it will also give you a chance to study for your O.W.L.s in a structured environment" he continued, "You are very intelligent, after all, and I believe that you're perfectly capable of catching up on missed studies. It would also give you a chance to make friends your own age and experience more of the wizarding world than what you'll get here at Grimmauld Place".

Harry exchanged a glance with Remus, whose expression was one of polite encouragement - probably something he had picked up from dealing with nervous first years. Sirius, however, still looked unsettled, but also… expectant. Hopeful, even. Harry realised that his godfather wasn't nervous about Harry going to Hogwarts, he was nervous about his reaction to being asked to go to Hogwarts.

He considered his options.

His biggest reason not to go had been Dumbledore himself, but he felt as though he knew the man a bit better now and more importantly, knew how he worked. The Headmaster was a lot like Molly Weasley, Harry had decided, if far more tight-lipped and manipulative when he had to be. He was a lot like most Order members in fact; do-gooders who didn't always do good. He meant well, although that was little consolation in the face of his many, many mistakes, but at least Harry could now safely say that he could trust the man not to Imperio him or otherwise force him to do something he did not want to do - even if he couldn't trust him when it came to much else.

The Hogwarts library, of course, was another perk of going. And it would be beneficial to have his face known to a few of the lords and ladies around his age since he did eventually plan on taking his seat at Wizengamot. And he also couldn't deny that he was burning with curiosity about the castle's innate magic and secret passageways and moving staircases and talking portraits and-

And besides - basilisk.

"I understand why you want me at Hogwarts" Harry finally said, his voice carefully neutral, "And I'll admit, it sounds… intriguing. But I'll only consider going if I get to keep the option to leave. I'm rather familiar with the drawbacks of boarding schools, so I reserve the right to pull out whenever the hell I want".

Dumbledore's lips pursed at that, but he nodded all the same. "That is a… reasonable request, my boy. I will only ask that you give Hogwarts a fair chance, but should you find it lacking or unsuitable after some time, then we can revisit the matter. But I daresay you may find Hogwarts… rather different from your last school".

Sirius took a step forward, his stormy grey eyes dark. "I swear to you, pup, nothing like what happened at St Brutus will happen at Hogwarts. And if anyone even thinks of laying a finger on you, they'll answer to me".

Harry smiled despite himself. "I don't need the Duke of London to fight my battles, Pads".

"Oh, no, don't worry, I know full well you can handle yourself" he replied, waving a hand, "I mean, look at what you did to my mother! No, I'm not worried about you in the slightest; I'm worried about whoever's going to be stupid enough to try and take you on, and the ensuing lawsuit that will come from that - which is where the Duke of London title will come in handy".

He beamed at him, and next to Harry, Remus let out a heavy sigh. "He hasn't even agreed to go yet, and you're already encouraging him to commit acts of violence".

"I'm not encouraging him, Moony! I'm just saying that, you know, if anyone does try anything then I give Harry my full and enthusiastic permission to absolutely flatten the bastard".

His partner sighed yet again, this time accompanying it with an eye roll, quickly followed by a look at Harry that said I completely agree, but one of us has to be the adult here so I'm not going to say that out loud in case it encourages him, and the boy quickly covered his laughter with a cough.

"I believe we are all in agreement, then?" Dumbledore asked mildly, seeming to take great enjoyment from the couple's bickering, and Harry took a deep breath below slowly, cautiously nodding. "Yeah. I'll, uh… I'll give it a month or so".

"Six months" Sirius immediately countered.

"Two" Harry bartered.

"Five".

"Three".

"Four".

"Three" Harry repeated firmly, but to his surprise, Sirius held his ground also. "Four. That'll give you until the Christmas holidays to decide, at which point you'll be leaving the castle anyway".

"I will?" he asked, surprised, "What for?"

His godfather looked at him like he was mad. "To come back here for Christmas, of course! What for, he asks! Where else would you be going for the bloody holidays?"

Oh. Sirius was acting as though he'd still… want him by December.

As if reading his thoughts, the man took two long strides across the room so that he could put both hands on Harry's shoulders, lean down, and peer into his very soul.

"I only just got you back, pup" he said quietly, "And I don't plan on ever letting you go again… Unless, you know, you want to go, in which case I'll be very sad and heartbroken and I will probably want to die but… well, I'll respect your wishes… eventually… probably… maybe… it might take me some time".

Remus snorted and rolled his eyes at the man. "If you don't want to come back here for Christmas, pup, then that's fine. If you'd prefer to stay at Hogwarts or go to a friend's house or- whatever! Just let us know and we'll make it happen, alright?"

"... Alright" Harry replied slowly, still somewhat thrown by his godfather's declaration and feeling terribly off-balance all of a sudden.

"Marvellous!" Dumbledore announced, clapping his hands together, "In that case, my boy, we need to figure out what year you'll be joining. You should be entering your fifth this September, but that, of course, depends entirely on your current range of knowledge. I'll organise some tests for you next week to see what level you're at in each of the core subjects".

"And the non-core subjects?" Sirius asked, straightening back up, "He'll have to pick some electives, won't he?"

"Yes, he will" Dumbledore replied, before turning back to Harry, "Perhaps it would be best to do that now so that you don't have to take unnecessary tests. There are five possible electives offered at Hogwarts and the majority of students choose two to sit their O.W.L.s in. There's Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination… Do any of those strike your fancy, my boy?"

Harry carefully sat down in the armchair opposite the man as he thought. He'd heard of all five of those subjects, although he'd only dabbled in a few. And the fact he would be studying them for his O.W.L.s meant he'd have a far heavier course load in them at Hogwarts than he had when learning them by himself over the past few years. He'd definitely like to get a better overview of the subjects before he chose them, so maybe…

He glanced over at Sirius. "What electives did you do?"

"Ancient Runes because I liked it and Divination because it's an easy pass" he replied immediately, ignoring the scowl his partner gave him in response.

"And you?" Harry asked Remus because, quite frankly, neither of those options sounded super appealing to him right now.

"Ancient Runes with this idiot-"

"Oi!"

"-and Arithmancy" he finished, "I was initially going to do Care of Magical Creatures as well before I realised that with my, uh… condition, it might make things a bit weird".

Harry snorted, before suddenly frowning. "Wait - as well? You mean you can take more than two?"

"As long as the timetable doesn't clash, my boy, then there's no reason why not" Dumbledore replied happily and he slowly nodded, considering it for a moment longer, before turning back to his godfathers. "Which electives do you think I should choose?"

"Arithmancy" Remus said immediately, "You've got a good head for numbers".

Thank you Rowle.

"And if you are going to do a third O.W.L., then one of the remaining two subjects should be easy to do well in" Sirius added, before wincing at the elbow his partner immediately gave him.

"There is no such thing as an easy subject! They all require hard work!"

"Well, yeah" he agreed, "But, you know, sometimes some subjects require… weaker work".

Harry rolled his eyes at the pair before turning back to Dumbledore.

"Arithmancy, definitely. I'd like to do Care of Magical Creatures too, because it sounds interesting. And then… well, I don't have the patience for Divination, and I don't know the first thing about Ancient Runes, so I guess… Muggle Studies?"

"Having grown up in the muggle world will certainly be a benefit to you" the Headmaster agreed smiling.

Yeah. Harry bit back a scowl. The only benefit.

"Well then" he said, blue eyes twinkling, "I'm glad we could get this sorted out today. I'll organise those exams to judge your skill levels next Monday - I'm sure Remus or Sirius can lend you a wand, my boy, until you can purchase your own".

Oh yeah. A wand. He'd forgotten about that.

"Which brings me to our final order of business" Dumbledore continued, although now, the twinkle in his gaze was noticeably dimmed, "I'm not sure if you know this, my boy, but after the tragic deaths of your parents, I was named your regent by Wizengamot until you come of age".

He paused as if expecting Harry to tell him exactly how much he knew, but the boy remained purposefully silent.

"... That does give me a certain level of authority when it comes to making decisions on your behalf, given that you're still a minor. As a result, I am legally able to enrol you at Hogwarts as my jurisdiction in the wizarding world takes precedence over that of your muggle relatives".

Ah. So that was where this was going.

"I'm under the impression, my boy, that they would not necessarily… agree to your attending of Hogwarts".

"What gave it away?" Harry asked flatly, staring him dead in the eyes, "The fact they never told me I was a wizard? The fact they never let me read my Hogwarts letter? The fact that they quite literally broke the law and used forged documents to illegally abandon me at a muggle centre for criminal offenders rather than let me find even the barest hint that magic existed? No, Headmaster, I don't think they'd agree to my attending of Hogwarts, do you?"

"Harry" Remus said quietly, although his own molten gaze was firmly fixed on the old man across from them.

"... Do they know where you are?"

Harry paused. Of course, the Dursleys had no bloody idea where he was - they likely hoped that he was dead. And he knew that the Headmaster knew that too, based on the pitying look the man was currently giving him. The problem was, he couldn't exactly admit it, could he? Neither of them could. If Harry answered no - which, realistically, was the only answer any of them expected - then he'd be admitting that he ran away, and although Dumbledore didn't seem to have any reason not to keep him in the wizarding world… he didn't want to give the man anything that he could use in the future to blackmail him with.

"They don't care that I'm here" he eventually replied, which wasn't exactly a lie, given that the Dursleys didn't much care about anything that he did, but his answer still left just enough wiggle room that the Headmaster could interpret it as the Dursleys knowing where he was and not minding in the slightest - all the while allowing the old man to ignore the issue sitting right in front of him, as he was wont to do.

Dumbledore slowly nodded, no doubt taking the loophole Harry had just so kindly given him, although the boy was under no illusion that everyone in this room knew the truth.

"And as for your muggle school?" he asked, "St Brutus, you said it was called? Are they aware that you will not be returning?"

"Yes" he said simply, which also wasn't a lie.

Harry risked a glance at Remus, who was giving him a curious, somewhat bewildered look, and then glanced over at Sirius who had something horrifyingly similar to understanding in his gaze and it set alarm bells ringing in his head immediately.

"... Very well" Dumbledore finished, slowly getting to his feet, "Then I foresee no problems in enrolling you at Hogwarts this September. I'll owl you about the tests next week, my boy… Until then".

Monday, 14th August

True to his word, the Headmaster arranged for Harry to take two exams per day for the entirety of the following week, starting with Transfiguration. Professor Minerva McGonagall arrived at Grimmauld Place at nine sharp, clutching her robes with one hand and a sleek dark wand with the other, with the kind of no-nonsense air that his godfather had warned him about.

After a crisp nod to Remus and Sirius, rejecting the former's offer of tea, she turned her focus to him.

"Good morning, Mr Potter. Are you ready to begin?"

"As I'll ever be, professor".

"Good. Transfiguration is some of the most useful magic you will learn but it is also some of the most complex and dangerous magic taught at Hogwarts, and even more so for you given that you are four years behind your cohorts. Did you read any books on the subject before our meeting today?"

"Yes ma'am".

"And?"

"You- You want me to name all of them?" Under her stern gaze, Harry quickly continued. "Yes ma'am! Uh, I've read Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, Transformation Through the Ages, Intermediate Transfiguration, and I started reading A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration over the weekend but I only got as far as the complications section last night".

McGonagall stared at him. Blinked twice in rapid succession. Stared at him for a moment more. And then turned her dark eyes to his godfather.

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, he does that. Definitely inherited Lily's brains".

For a moment, her expression softened, but when she turned back to Harry, she was serious-looking once more.

"Very well then, Mr Potter. Let's see how much you've learned".

Harry had been quite right in his assessment that McGonagall wasn't someone to cross.

Throughout the exam, she was meticulous yet fair, correcting him in precise terms, whether it was his overly tight grip or a slightly off-centre flick. Harry quickly learned that under her watch, every movement mattered - but for all her rigour, he was glad she treated him like any other student rather than as the Boy Who Lived.

He was using Sirius' wand for the week - he'd only just barely brushed against Remus's wand before the bloody thing had started sparking at him. He couldn't blame it though. It was made of cypress, which was more loyal than a lot of wood, and had a unicorn hair core, which was the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. Sirius's wand had dragon heartstring, which was typically temperamental - like its owner - but it was also the easiest core to use with Dark Magic.

Neither of the two men had said anything about it to him, but Harry had seen the look they'd traded. It wasn't a bad look, necessarily, but they had both definitely realised the significance of Sirius's wand preferring him over his partners.

Still, the wand didn't entirely like him, and he was irritated to find that he struggled to change a match into a needle - something he could do wandlessly with his eyes closed by now. He was still keeping that little piece of information a secret, however - there was no advantage in showing all his cards this soon.

On the plus side, a lot of the most advanced spells Harry had taught himself - bluebell flames, water conjuration, the bird-conjuring charm - worked almost as well as they did without a wand, which increased the woman's esteem for him. By lunchtime, he'd even managed to earn himself a small smile from the professor.

"Well, Mr Potter, for someone who has never formally studied Transfiguration, you're quite on your way to earning an Exceeds Expectations. I'll give you an Acceptable for now but keep practising those wand movements, and you may just improve that grade by the end of next term".

"Thank you, professor" he replied dutifully.

She inclined her head in response but paused before she reached the door. "Whatever your godfather may be prone to saying, Mr Potter, I for one don't believe that you'll end up in my House… but wherever you do end up, rest assured that my door will always be open for you".

That afternoon, he had his Charms test, which he felt far more confident doing.

Professor Flitwick was a tiny man and terribly excited to meet him, and whereas McGonagall had been strict and to the point, he was all smiles and encouragement, clapping his hands in delight whenever Harry succeeded.

The professor seemed to be delighted about most things he did - from summoning to banishing to levitating to severing to mending… There were very few spells that Harry hadn't tried out at one point or another, and plenty more Dark charms besides that probably wouldn't gain him such a favourable reaction from the man - yet another thing he kept a tight lid on.

He was given a firm handshake, "Splendid, Mr Potter! Just splendid!", and a grade of Outstanding before they finally called it a night.

Tuesday, 15th August

The following day was dedicated entirely to Potions - theory in the morning, and practical in the evening. Harry smartly decided to forewarn Snape that his hands-on skills were undoubtedly lacking, remembering what Remus had told him over breakfast about the man's thorough hatred of ineptitude.

It was a warning that served him well.

Sirius had demanded to sit in on this test, claiming not to trust Snape around his godson, to which the younger man had shot back that he'd be Harry's professor for the next three years and was he really going to join the boy's every Potions class at Hogwarts?

Sirius had stormed out in a huff after that, but Harry had caught sight of the glint of amusement in Snape's eyes before the man had firmly squashed it down.

"Your theory is... acceptable" he finally bit out late that evening, and Harry couldn't fight back a smile in response. "How much did that hurt you to say?"

He gave him a dirty look. "But your practice is deplorable! Your cutting technique is non-existent, you stir like you want your cauldron to overflow, and you have a truly abhorrent sense of timing!"

"Yeah, that's more like it".

Snape looked torn between smirking or hexing him. In the end, he settled for neither, telling him that theory alone would, unfortunately, gain him an Exceeds Expectations, but that his practical skills would barely scrape him a Poor which all averaged out as Acceptable. Barely.

Either way, he hadn't cursed Harry once, and based on what he knew of the man, he counted that as a win.

Wednesday, 16th August

Harry got something of a break on Wednesday, as Dumbledore had assigned Remus to quiz him on both Defence Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy. The Headmaster still hadn't hired a new DADA professor, which was seriously cutting it fine, and although he claimed to trust Septima Vector, he didn't want to reveal Harry's existence to her yet - which wasn't really a good sign of trust, in Harry's opinion.

Either way, Remus gave him an Outstanding in both subjects, although Harry thought that he might have been a little generous with that Arithmancy mark. He was good with numbers, of course, great even, but there were plenty of numerology basics that he hadn't learned yet - he'd have to get a few books on that before September.

It was in Defence that Remus really came alive, however, testing him about his Dark creature knowledge - ghosts, vampires, boggarts, and, yes, even werewolves which had sent them both into fits of giggles more than once - as well as his defensive spell repertoire - Knockback jinx, Full Body-Bind curse, Disarming charm, and his theoretical knowledge behind the Unforgivables.

He didn't ask him to perform any Dark Magic, but likewise, he didn't stay away from the theory of those spells either, so Harry didn't think that the man was as against the Dark Arts as Dumbledore and his most loyal were.

"You'd make a really good professor, Moony" Harry said, collapsing back in an armchair with an exhausted groan.

"I would've been your professor in third year if you'd been at Hogwarts at the time" Remus replied, taking the seat opposite him, "I left at the end of the year to help Sirius get back on his feet".

"Well, he's probably as steady now as he's ever going to be so… would you ever consider going back?"

The man looked oddly wistful. "I don't know, pup. In an ideal world… but unfortunately, we don't live in one. A lot has changed since then; new laws have been brought in, new creature regulations… if anyone found out that I'm a werewolf then the Aurors would be called".

"But when the laws change" Harry pressed, sitting up and leaning forward, "When creatures and Dark beings gain greater rights - then will you teach again?"

He narrowed his eyes and gave him an almost suspicious look. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Not for definite" he admitted "But I know what my ideal world looks like and I don't intend on stopping until I create it".

The man snorted and shook his head. "Merlin, you're going to take Hogwarts by storm aren't you? I pity the fools who stand in your way".

"So do I". Harry smirked, just a little bit too sharp. "But don't worry Moony; they won't make the same mistake twice".

Thursday, 17th August

Herbology brought yet another Exceeds Expectations and his first failing grade - a Dreadful in Astronomy.

Harry felt bad for Professor Sinistra; he really did. Here she was, absolutely in love with the subject that she'd dedicated her entire life to, and here he was, somehow even worse at Astronomy than a first-year.

He knew precisely nothing about the names of stars and movements of the planets and even less about constellation charts and Jupiter's moons. Harry hadn't even known that Jupiter had more than one moon, but when he told her so, the poor woman looked like she wanted to slam her head against the wall, so he kept all of his future observations to himself.

Honestly, though, he wasn't too worried about this class. He knew that he was smart and that he could pick up a lot about Astronomy that he needed to know before his O.W.L.s, and since it was an optional subject from sixth year on, he'd be dropping it in a year anyway. Worst case scenario, he did fail his O.W.L. and then he just didn't take Astronomy for his N.E.W.T.s.

His only other exam of the day was Herbology which was conducted by a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout who liked Harry immediately. He could answer any and all of her questions surrounding venomous tentacula, asphodel, and dittany, and even a few more that weren't on the Hogwarts curriculum but that Harry had read about in Rowle's books anyway.

"I think I'll give you an Exceeds Expectations, Mr Potter". She beamed. "I'd like to give you an Outstanding, but I'm afraid I can't test your practical skills from here. Nonetheless, that doesn't matter much given that the hands-on side of things is simply taking the theory and applying a little more dirt".

He gave her a tired smile. "Any chance you'd say that to Professor Snape?"

Sprout laughed. "Ah yes. Severus can certainly be a hard taskmaster but at the end of the day if you show promise then he'll take you under his wing. There's not much that man wouldn't do for his students… So be sure to land yourself in Slytherin, won't you?"

"I think my godfather might disown me".

"Lord Black? Hmm… perhaps. Always was a hot-headed boy, that one, but he also thought you were… well… dead, for quite some time". She gave him a sympathetic look. "So I wouldn't underestimate his acceptance of everything you do now that he's got you back again".

"Maybe" Harry replied non-committedly, "Let's just see how well I do on the other subjects first".

Friday, 18th August

The final day of his exams brought Dumbledore to their doorstep once more. He was there to test him on his History of Magic knowledge given that the current professor was a literal ghost and therefore couldn't make his way to Grimmauld Place. Harry wisely decided not to curse the man for hiring such a subpar teacher because, really? A ghost? As a history professor?! Could they have chosen anyone worse?!

He achieved another Outstanding in History of Magic, and Harry wasn't too proud to say that he'd gotten immense satisfaction in wiping that smile off Dumbledore's face when he could not only answer every single one of his fourth-year questions, but his fifth, sixth, and seventh-year questions too. Apparently, this was the worst-graded subject at Hogwarts and Harry wondered, sarcastically, if maybe that was because they didn't even have a living teacher!

"Well then, my boy… I highly doubt that you'll have any problems in History of Magic this year and, dare I say it, you might already even be at the top of your class!"

Dumbledore said this quite happily, as though the realisation that a self-taught muggle-raised boy could outperform hundreds of students in proper formal education was something to be proud of - Finding a new History of Magic professor might not be at the top of Dumbledore's to-do list, but Harry sure as hell was adding it to his own.

That afternoon brought with it his last exam and the largest person that Harry had ever seen before; a towering man that had to be at least ten or eleven feet tall, which made him wonder first of all, if he was part-giant, and second of all, if it would be rude of him to ask.

Hagrid gave him yet another Outstanding, but once again, Harry thought he was being far too generous with that grade - especially since he didn't quiz him on a fraction of the things that he knew were supposed to be taught at Hogwarts. He was an incredibly warm, kind man who seemed to constantly forget just how large he was, hitting his head off the overhanging pots in the kitchen not just once, not just twice, but seven times before the exam was finished.

Harry genuinely liked him though, and appreciated just how passionate he was about Care of Magical Creatures, but at the same time, he decided to maybe not trust the man with anything important. More than once, Hagrid let slip something he shouldn't have told him, but it was beyond obvious that he was a soft-hearted soul who meant no harm.

He'd also somehow managed to smuggle in a truly impressive amount of small creatures in his enormous coat which baffled and amused Harry to no end. Hagrid had brought a dog with him too, a massive black-haired boarhound that had immediately set him on edge, but it quickly became apparent that Fang was just as fierce as his owner - which was to say, not fierce at all. The old mutt happily threw himself down by Harry's feet and spent the next few hours either snoring loudly or raising his head to slobber all over his lap.

After the rather brief examination, Hagrid agreed to stay for dinner, his huge hulking frame comical looking at the old wooden table. Harry was delighted of course, since it allowed him to spend even more time petting Fang who had since proven himself to be the exact opposite of Marge Dursley's little beasts, while a Bowtruckle buried itself in his hair and a Niffler tried its best to steal the gold-coloured name tag off of the dog's collar.

Hagrid's parting words, which were yet another thing he shouldn't have told him, was that Dumbledore was planning to visit Harry the next day - and that he more than likely would have a Hogwarts acceptance letter with him.