The day of Lord Malfoy's arrival came as Harry hurried to pack his things as the morning light shone on the horizon. Amber hissed, slithering into Harry's robes as he packed his clothes and books into his trunk, §§It will be good to be back to the Malfoy Manor. The little magic creature is quite a fun hugging toy when you are not around, Speaker.§§
Harry could feel the weight of her coils, thanking his stars that he had found the rune to shrink her within his robes. With a soft chuckle, he pet Amber's head as he put a few books into his trunk. "I swear, Amber, you're getting so heavy that you will eventually be too big for me to carry. I bet Dobby will be surprised at how much you've grown in only a couple months."
Amber hissed, her enormous coils moving around Harry's body and accentuating her length. With her head resting on Harry's shoulder, she coiled herself around his torso and waist before wrapping herself twice around him like a belt, the remainder of his coil going down his right leg. As she did, her response sounded a bit smug; §§Well then, Speaker. You will simply have to get strong enough to carry me no matter my size.§§
"I'll do my best, you silly serpent," Harry replied with a grin before he reached up and pet her softly. Almost like a cat, she leaned into his pet as Harry climbed out of the half-finished crawlspace room.
Kneeling down once he was out of the crawlspace and grabbing his trunk, he headed towards the front door. "Uncle Vernon! Aunt Petunia! Lord Malfoy will be here soon!"
"Coming, lad. We'll see you off." Uncle Vernon said from his seat in the sitting room. Vernon stood up, once more wearing his tuxedo as Petunia was wearing an elegant evening gown. The two certainly did enjoy impressing Lord Malfoy with their clothing, as Harry could see the top hat that Uncle Vernon had mentioned to Lucius before nested atop his head. Freshly cleaned, the old style hat seemed to be quite elegant with a band of black gossamer silk around the base of it.
"Now, we'll offer him some tea before you leave. Would that be alright?" Vernon asked Harry, who replied with a nod, "It'd be impolite not to, after all."
Petunia gave a nod of agreement before moving to put on a teapot. Shortly after the water boiled, there was a knock at the door.
Vernon quickly moved to the door, opening it and giving a polite bow. "Lord Malfoy. Welcome back to our home. Please, come in. I know you are here to pick up Harry, but would you care for some tea? My wife recently acquired some excellent Darjeeling."
Lucius raised an eyebrow before a prideful smirk flicked across his face as he was happy that Vernon had gone out of his way to acquire something to his tastes. "Of course. It is always a pleasure to accept your generous hospitality, Mister Dursley." Harry could see Draco was standing behind Lucius, the boy quiet and stoic as usual when his father was present.
Tea time was a calm and elegant affair for the Dursleys and Malfoys. Personally, Harry felt like he was out of his league as his aunt and uncle seemed to be skilled with small talk with Lord Malfoy. Sirius was hidden in the crawlspace, having agreed with Harry's thoughts that he shouldn't be seen quite yet. After several cups of tea were served, Uncle Vernon was the first to speak.
"I certainly hope nothing has come from that rather unseemly business at the Ministry with that— Lord Nott, was it?" Uncle Vernon said, holding his own teacup. Harry noticed his Uncle seemed to have learned a bit more from last time, now holding the saucer and cup with a slightly more elegant stance than at Easter.
"Ah, yes. Lord Nott has been a bit of a hindrance in things. Unfortunately, he has taken a subset of the Traditionalist faction and is now attempting a coup. I am the current Head of the faction with the absence of a Lord Black due to my marriage with a Lady of the House of Black. Unfortunately, with the Traditionalist faction as it is we may see a split in the party. Your family has begun to prove to me that there are some muggle families we should tolerate, unlike those who show no respect for the old ways or traditions upon learning them."
"High praise, Lord Malfoy." Vernon nodded and set his teacup on the saucer before placing it upon the table. "Can you tell me anything about this Nicholas Flamel that Harry has mentioned? He will not be a cause for danger for the lad, will he?"
Lucius gave a smirk. "Of course not, unless the boy takes his training beyond his capabilities. Nicholas Flamel is famous around the world as the oldest living wizard, bar none. He is currently around eight hundred years old and due to our traditions and laws is one of the only people who can pass down certain knowledge. Having him take someone as an apprentice happens only once a century; the previous apprentice he chose was one Albus Dumbledore who has since become one of the most famous wizards in the world. As you know, Dumbledore is the man currently in charge of Hogwarts."
"Indeed. I am happy that the lad can get such excellent tutoring. It's no doubt all thanks to you, Lord Malfoy. You have the connections that would put even the best of the House of Lords to shame."
Malfoy seemed to puff up like a peacock at the praise, making Harry give a smirk. His uncle was getting quite good at buttering up Lord Malfoy.
"Indeed, while I was not responsible for the boy's introduction to the old wizard, I was responsible for arranging for his tutoring at my home. Heir Potter's companions, including my son, will be able to join him thanks to your ward's selfless request that Flamel allow them to participate. House Malfoy does not take such an immeasurable debt lightly, Mister Dursley. You can rest assured that despite the issues in the Traditionalist faction, House Malfoy will remain friends with the Potters and Dursleys as long as you wish to remain such."
It was Vernon's time to smile delightedly, his mustache twitching as he did. "Oh, think nothing of it, Lord Malfoy. Harry is an outstanding young man, just like your son. I'm proud of the boy for not just thinking of himself, but his friends as well."
Harry felt a blush coming to his cheeks. Beside him, Harry could see Draco giving an embarassed blush as well. The pleasantries continued for a few moments more before Lucius stood.
"Thank you kindly for such a wonderful tea, Mister Dursley, but it wouldn't do well to have the others we will be assisting today wait too long. For now, I must bid you farewell."
Lord Malfoy stood there for a second before reaching out his gloved hand to Vernon. Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he heard Draco's breath hitch in his throat, a gesture which nearly caused him to choke. Only careful practice allowed the young Malfoy Heir to stop himself from making an unbecoming noise and instead he cleared his throat.
Vernon didn't quite understand the significance of the momentous gesture, but happily shook Lord Malfoy's hand with a firm shake. "Of course, Lord Malfoy. You are welcome here whenever you wish." With a pleasant nod, Lucius Malfoy retracted his hand and turned. "Now, let's be off. Dobby!"
Dobby popped into the living room, reaching out for Harry's trunk. As the house elf took it, the trunk and the house elf both disappeared with an audible pop.
Turning to Harry and Draco, Lucius tapped his cane on the floor. "I will be taking the two of you first to the Granger residence. Unfortunately, it is another muggle property, and I'm unsure—"
Vernon stepped up from his seat. "Another of the mundane world, Lord Malfoy? Perhaps you and your son would enjoy a drive to the location and save yourself some effort and magic?" Harry saw the glimmer of delight in Malfoy's eyes that was quickly hidden by the man. "Oh, I couldn't possibly impose." Draco however, did little to hide his delight; the boy looked disappointed as his father spoke.
Vernon's eyes sparkled with mirth as he smiled and shook his head, "Of course it wouldn't be an imposition. Pet, would you be alright handling things here?" Vernon turned to the quiet Petunia who was sitting in her chair. When the woman gave a gentle nod, Vernon turned back to Lord Malfoy with a smile. "Well then, shall we get going?"
Harry caught the delighted smirk return, flashing across Lucius' face for a split-second as the man nodded. "Of course, we would be fools to reject such a wonderful offer, and the Malfoys are never fools. Thank you for your time, Mister Dursley."
Harry snickered as he saw Draco's entire face light up, walking out with him as the four got into the car once more.
The luxury car soon arrived at the address given by Lucius, the pureblood Lord stepping from the car almost reluctantly. Draco, however wasn't afraid to show his sadness at leaving the car, making Harry grin and nudge his side.
While Draco and Harry descended into a poking match, Lucius made his way forward to the front door of the rather large house after speaking to Vernon and exchanging well-wishes. As the door opened, Vernon pulled from the driveway and drove off.
"Yes?" A rather lanky middle-aged man with grey hair and a rather wizened look to his face peered out, wearing a simple sweater and slacks. He looked over Lucius for a moment, unimpressed, before speaking up. "You must be the ones Hermione mentioned. I suppose you should come in."
Lucius sneered at the man's lackadaisical demeanor, walking in as the door was opened. "Draco, Potter, come along." His voice suddenly was ice cold as the tone made Harry and Draco quickly stop their poke-fight and hurry inside.
They were led into a small sitting room, Malfoy remaining standing as he held his cane. The place seemed far more modern than the pureblood liked, as Harry could see distaste mounting on his face. His entire body seemed to be tense, and it was obvious the Lord didn't want to be there.
"Harry! Draco!" Hermione's voice could be heard as a pair of shoes tapped down the nearby staircase. The bushy-haired witch hurried over to them, grinning as Draco blanched a bit and leaned forward, his voice a low hiss, "Granger, offer greetings to my father before someone of lesser station."
Hermione went pale. "Oh! I'm so sorry. Good evening, Mister Malfoy." Hermione said quickly and gave a polite and elegant curtsy. "I got your letter earlier and have been waiting. My parents wanted to meet you before we went; you already met the housekeeper I believe. His name is Mister Millberg."
Lucius' eye twitched slightly at the disrespect, but contained his fury as Hermione attempted to correct her mistake. Harry noticed that Hermione hadn't referred to him by his title, nor even shown any decorum with greeting the man until she had been told to. The fact the man wasn't being shown respect seemed to instantly remove whatever good mood the Malfoy Lord had had from the car trip and tea with the Dursleys.
"Where might your parents be, Miss Granger? I was expecting a quick visit to collect you, and then we'd be off using a Portkey I purchased for the occasion." Hermione looked around, and then back up the stairs. "Oh, they're a little busy at the moment, but I'll get them." Hermione gave another curtsy before hurrying off.
Harry noticed that Lucius' sneer was now completely visible. He looked angry, as Draco whispered. "I never thought Hermione would be this... muggle."
"I don't think she means it. Muggles don't really have the same traditions of lordship anymore. It's mostly fallen out of favor in modern days. Hermione's family seems to be more bourgeois, as well." Harry defended his friend, but was a bit embarrassed on Hermione's behalf.
Draco rolled his eyes, muttering something about "New money, no manners" under his breath. Harry sighed; he had given Hermione the book on etiquette but it was obvious the girl hadn't read it yet, or she simply hadn't used the knowledge here.
Hermione soon returned. "My Mum says they'll be out in a second, and sorry for the wait!" Lucius looked down at the girl. "Foolish girl. I gave prior notice I would be here. If they wanted to meet me then they should have been ready instead of wasting my valuable time." Harry could hear the tension in the man's voice. Harry gestured at Hermione, putting a finger to his lips. Noticing Harry's warning movement,Hermione quickly silenced herself.
The attention of the Lord soon went to the pair who entered; a rather young-looking black-haired man and his partner, a brown-haired woman. Both were dressed in casual garb and both were reading from a book the man carried.
"Ah, sorry for the wait. We found an interesting book and couldn't put it down. I'm Vincent Granger, and this is my wife, Mary. A pleasure to meet you." Lucius' eye twitched at the mention that he had been kept waiting over a book, something that Harry easily noticed. Squeezing his cane almost hard enough to leave finger indents in the serpent tip, he spoke quietly. "The pleasure is all yours. I am Lord Lucius Malfoy, and this is my son, Draco and family friend, Harry Potter. They are friends with your daughter at their school."
Vincent laughed, "Lord? How archaic and quaint. I didn't realize that the magical world still had those sorts of titles. In the real world, we don't really have such titles these days save for a few in the government. I suppose myself and my wife have the title Doctor, but that's just a title and shouldn't really be too important in a conversation."
Harry could see the blood vessel in Lucius' temple throb as he spoke up. Harry wondered if the man was going to have an aneurysm from the sheer rage that the normally stoic man seemed to be exuding. Deciding to interrupt to save the sanity of his best friend's father, Harry stepped forward, "I'm quite sorry for rushing things along, but my snake is hungry and we were going to get her some food after this." As if on cue, Amber's head poked out from Harry's shoulder and made the two Granger parents jump in place.
"Oh! Uh— of— of course. I'm s-sorry for taking up your time. I-I assume that your s-snake is harmless?" Mister Granger asked, the man's knees quivering. Inwardly, Harry laughed a bit. A Gryffindor this man was not!
"Oh, quite harmless. She prefers to stay around me, and she's very well-behaved." Harry said quickly. Harry saw the man puff his chest out, seemingly getting a fragment of courage as he pointed at Harry. "You'd better not have that creature around my d-daughter. Hermione, stay safe when you head out there, understand?"
Hermione sighed, but gave a nod as Harry noted it seemed like this happened a lot. Lucius, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, walked the children out as Hermione grabbed her own trunk and carried it down the stairs.
"Dobby, another trunk." Lucius said once they got outside, as there was a pop and the trunk was gone. Hermione looked intrigued as she turned to Lucius. "What magic was that, Mister Malfoy? Dobby? That's not a spell I've ever heard before." As Hermione asked, Lucius took out a silk rope.
"I'll tell you later, Hermione." Harry said, before looking at Lucius. "Is this a portkey? How do they work?" Draco was the one to answer, gesturing, "All you have to do is hold it and say the activation phrase and it'll take anyone touching it to the location the spell cast upon it indicates. This one's been spelled so that it will take us to the Weasley's next, and then to the Longbottom's."
"I think I like this type of magical transportation better than Apparition or Floo, then." Harry said as he reached out. Hermione tenatively did the same, as Lucius spoke up. "Mandragora."
With a sudden rush, Harry felt himself pulled into that same strange place as when he had stepped through the floo. But this time, it was different.
He could see them whizzing through what looked like a shining cosmos, wrapping around them in an embrace of pure magic. The air was cold, as Harry could feel the magic press against him on all sides. His own magic seemed to react as they spun through the strange place, almost like it was embracing a friend, or a mother.
Harry gave out a gasp, as he could see the multitude of beautiful colors, shining and shimmering as he felt he could hear voices in the distance, whispering echoes of a bygone age. This place, wherever it was something that he had never seen before.
And just like that, they were pulled out of it, Harry feeling dizzy as he looked around as the magic soon let them down in a large field, a rather haphazard looking home at the top of a small hill. Harry could see Lucius' sneer returning as he brushed a few strands of hair from his face, made askew by the Portkey's magic.
"Granger, stick with Draco. Potter, with me. Try not to get too... soiled." Lucius said, disgust in his voice as they walked up.
If this had been the first magical home Harry had seen, it would have been incredible. But compared to Malfoy Manor, the large ramshackle house looked just that; ramshackle. A large five-story building that seemed to be built in a way that didn't seem possible, with a small farm scattered about with vegetables growing in tidy rows. The large building seemed to be half made of wood and half of brick, with the brick sitting atop of the wood like some obscure modern art piece.
Harry could see the whimsy of the place, like something out of a children's fairy tale. It wasn't bad, so to speak. However, to Harry, it definitely seemed like the Weasleys had some money problems and had expanded the house with what they had whenever they had the time. The confusion that came to Harry's mind was, why not just build a new home from scratch? His thought process went to the work he was doing in the crawlspace of Number Four, scratching his chin.
Lucius' cane rapped at the door as it took less than a second for an older woman to open it, drying her hands with a dish towel. Her long red hair reached her shoulders, as the chubby woman seemed to have a face that smiled quite a bit. However, when she saw Lucius, her face twisted into a frown. "Oh. Malfoy."
"Good evening, Madam Weasley. I have come to pick up Ronald for the month, as I sent prior notice for. I assume that your husband is at the Ministry at the moment?" Lucius said, his voice civil but cold.
"No, I'm right here, Malfoy." Harry saw a rather homely man with a balding head step into view, a few swirls of crimson hair atop his head. The man was dressed in a dark brown robe that reached his shins, lined with a golden band around the bottom. He gestured for his wife to step back, which she quickly did. "I still do not know why Ronald would ever be friends with someone like your son."
"Perhaps he knows that the Weasley name isn't as good as that of the Malfoys?" Lucius sneered. Harry saw the two men glare at each other before Mister Weasley spoke up again. "We have very different opinions on what makes a family 'good,' Malfoy. If it wasn't for Harry Potter, your son and yourself would still be nothing but Death Eaters in my eyes and don't you forget it."
"Trust me, Weasley, even if I tried to, your incessant posturing would make sure I remembered within a second of my forgetting it. Now, despite this riveting conversation, I do have another that I have to pick up, and I hope that I do not need to remind you that we are keeping Nicholas Flamel waiting. If you'd like to explain to him why you felt that pointless bickering is more important than making sure his students get to him, by all means I would love to continue barking like dogs."
Harry could see Mister Weasley turn pale, before muttering, "I'll go and get Ronald." The door closed, as Lucius took a step back.
"Why do you and Mister Weasley dislike each other so much? Other than allegiances from the war, of course." Harry asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Lucius looked pained. "it is not a story that I will tell here, but suffice to say there is history between the Malfoy family and the Weasley family; one that caused the Weasley Family to lose their Lordship in the Wizengamot and a Blood Feud to be called that only ended with the Malfoy Family giving mercy to the Weasley Family."
Harry noticed the comment and the term blood feud. He paled a bit as he remembered a portion of the Etiquette book.
"There are many acts of Honor that a family can invoke in the case of their House being harmed or dishonored. Of these acts, there are three levels of increasing severity.
The first is an Honor Duel, a type of Duel that can happen to first blood, unconsciousness, or, in rare cases, to death. The Honor Duel is considered to be a simple measure, and some prefer to have normal duels. An Honor Duel, however, must be officiated by a second for each party and a neutral party acting as referee. The ending of the duel indicates the side that magic stands with, and often is used for minor transgressions.
The second is the Call of Judgment, which allows the family magic of a sufficiently high ranking family to judge someone who has slighted the house. This will have the family magic pass through the target, causing them to be wounded in sufficient penalty for how much the target has harmed the Family.
The final is the rarest and most dangerous of the three. A Blood Feud is a war between two Houses, and ends either in the elimination of the house's main lineage or if mercy is called. Should mercy be given to a party, great dishonor would fall upon the family that was given said mercy. To be given mercy in a Blood Feud is said to be being told that your family is not worth the time and effort to kill, but they could be killed easily regardless. The severity of a Blood Feud is such that historically they have only been declared on a handful of occasions."
Harry shook his head as he remembered the excerpt vividly. He had remembered reading it both as a kid and again many times, imagining the chaos, destruction, and the loss of magical houses that such an event caused.
"A Blood Feud! But those—" Hermione spoke up, but Draco cut her off as the door opened. Ron lugged his trunk out of the door, giving a wave. "'lo." Ron said, yawning. It was obvious he had just woken up.
"Hey, Ron! You look horrible. Have you been sleeping all morning? It's almost three!" Harry hurried up to help his friend, whispering as Ron groaned.
"Took a nap. S'rry." Ron yawned again, as he looked to slowly be waking up as he held his trunk. With a word from Lucius, Ron's trunk disappeared as the boy almost fell over from the lack of the trunk's weight.
"Oi! Coulda warned me." Ron said as he slapped his cheeks, the sleepiness being driven from his eyes. "It's good to see you, Harry! And Hermione too." Ron's eyes finally fully opened as he seemed to fully regain consciousness. "...Malfoy." Ron said, peering at the blonde.
"...Weasley." Draco replied, the two exchanging civil, if not exactly friendly greetings. Behind Ron, Mister Weasley opened the door again and stood there. "Alright, Ronald. You behave and remember what we talked about." Ron yawned once more and nodded as Lucius sneered, speaking up.
"Now, if we are done here, we have one more to collect, and then this little group shall be complete." Lucius took out the silken rope once more, gesturing for everyone to grab it. Hermione was the first to step up this time, having been mostly silent.
The others grabbed the rope and with the word "Blossom", they were on their way to the next location.
Harry saw the magical cosmos once again, trying to take in all he could before the group soon landed, leaving that magical realm.
Harry looked around; they were outside a massive Manor that made the Malfoy Manor look absolutely small. Looking at the magnificent place, Harry was unable to contain an exclamation of amazement. Beside him, Hermione gasped as Ron muttered, "Bloody hell."
Seeing the children's reactions, Lucius gestured with his cane and gave a regal bow. "Welcome to Longbottom Manor, one of the last large manors owned by a Most Noble and Ancient Family in Britain due to the loss of Potter Manor and Black Castle."
The enormous house was made of white marble and what looked to be golden mortar, the entire house pulsing with magic and power. Harry could see an enormous badger statue in the middle of a fountain, carved from a single massive onyx that released water into the basin below.
Around the garden where they had landed, different plants could be seen carefully planted alongside paths of marble cobblestone. White roses and beautiful daisies, tulips, begonias, and many more sorts of flowers were exquisitely arranged and carefully tended. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, and Harry could swear he saw a flicker of magic around one or two of them.
"This place is wicked!" Harry exclaimed, saying what the others felt. Ron grumbled a bit under his breath, barely audible to Harry. "I wonder if the Weasley Family had a place like this once." At the same time, Harry saw Ron seemed to fidget, itching his arm every so often. He looked rather uncomfortable.
There was a soft popping sound as a small house-elf appeared in front of the group. "Regent Longbottom awaits Messrs and Missuses in the Manor's entry hall. Poppy will lead."
"Thank you, Poppy," Harry replied as Hermione looked over the small creature, which turned and led the group towards the mansion's front door. Lucius walked along with the children, saying nothing, but the tension was obvious on his face.
The group was led through the gardens to a massive stone doorway that Harry could see pulse with magical power. Runes were carved along the edges, and Harry could taste the power of the wards here.
The doors slowly opened, revealing a familiar form awaiting in the entry hall with Neville by her side. Augusta Longbottom walked up and nodded to Lucius, "Lord Malfoy. A pleasure." Augusta gave a grin, causing Lucius to give a polite a bow to her and then a nod to Neville. Neville returned the gesture to Draco and Lucius as the group walked into the manor.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron walked behind Draco and Lucius, as Harry grinned at Neville with his foxlike smile. Neville blushed in response; it was obvious he was embarrassed to show how well-off he was.
Augusta spoke up as they entered the entrance hall, "Now, Lucius. I assume you are ripe to leave Longbottom Hall as soon as possible, considering the wards are barely tolerating you at the moment. Neville, do you have your things?"
"Yes, Gran." Neville nodded, patting his shirt pocket. He moved over to join Harry as the old woman grinned. "Remember, Neville. Behave, but make sure to show them what you are truly capable of."
Neville beamed, as Harry could see his confidence seemed to have risen by several degrees. Privately questioning if Neville got his new wand, Harry could see Neville's magic dancing around his body. If he didn't have his new wand, Harry would be quite surprised.
With that, Lucius nodded, looking apprehensive and a bit afraid as his gaze flicked to the hall around him. Without another word, he took out the silken rope. "Now, the portkey will take us to Malfoy Manor. Is everyone ready?"
Harry took the rope, seeing the others do similar. When everyone had grabbed the rope, Lucius spoke. "Homeland." The portkey activated, sending the small group flying. As the motion ended, Harry could finally see the large grey stone manor that he had spent his Easter in.
"Welcome back to Malfoy Manor, Potter." Draco grinned. "And to the rest of you, welcome to my home." Ron looked around, as Neville and Hermione seemed interested in the old stone building. it wasn't anything like Neville's family home, but the old style of carved stone gave the place its own unique and magical presence. A white peacock strutted over and squawked at Lucius. Lucius waved his cane, as some seeds appeared in midair for the fowl to happily feast upon.
"I thought you couldn't conjure food." Harry whispered to his friends. Draco grinned and replied back, "He didn't. He summoned it from the kitchens. Father loves those birds. He raised them from chicks himself."
Lucius led the children into the Manor, where Narcissa was waiting. She smiled at the children as they entered the hall, walking up to them.
Harry stepped forward before anything could be said. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Malfoy, for allowing my friends and I to stay for a few weeks. I hope that it's not too much trouble."
Narcissa laughed gently. "Oh my. And you're still such a wonderful charmer. It's a pleasure to have you and your friends here, Heir Potter." She offered her hand, allowing Harry to take it and kiss her knuckles, making Ron and Hermione both roll their eyes.
"Alright, children. You have free reign of the house, and the grounds. If you require any assistance, Draco will assist you." Lucius said, Draco giving a nod. "Come on, Potter! Let's all play Quidditch! Crabbe and Goyle are already outside waiting for us."
Hermione and Neville both turned a pale shade of white, as Harry turned to look at them. "Don't worry, you two. Draco's got professionally-made brooms. He's been flying since he was a kid. He even has brooms that don't go above a certain height for safety."
Hermione seemed a bit less apprehensive, while Neville gulped. "I-I'll try, H-harry." As Neville agreed, Harry gave a beaming smile. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. Just like before."
Thankfully, Harry noticed Neville's fears seem to dissipate as he mentioned that, Ron grinning. "I can't wait to fly! My brothers always hog the few family brooms. This is going to be wicked!"
The group hurried outside, with Narcissa heading out with them and sitting in the garden. Passing out the brooms, Draco and Harry gave a quick reminder of the lessons at Hogwarts.
It wasn't long before they were all in the air, with Neville and Hermione both being nervous. However, Harry and Ron's excitement was palpable, and soon everyone was beginning to fly around, tossing the Quaffle to each other.
Looking at his friends playing in the air, the evening breeze sliding around him, Harry realized that this is what having friends was all about. Even Ron, who seemed to be distant at times, was having fun and even playfully snatching the ball from Draco, who seemed eager to get it back.
While in the air, they were friends. Family grudges and animosity didn't matter here. And that's how Harry liked it.
Flamel arrived later that evening, as Harry and the group were waiting for him in the entrance hall. As the wizened wizard walked in, Harry was the first to step forward and gave a polite bow.
"Greetings, Master Wizard Nicholas Flamel. I wished to personally thank you for your time and your generous acceptance of my condition. We are here to learn."
Flamel laughed. "A perfect picturesque pureblood prince, posturing and pontificating for persons of prestige. Perfect, Potter. Plenty of points for participation."
Lucius, who had joined the group in welcoming the old wizard to his home listened to Flamel's statement and spoke up with a roll of his eyes, "And that is about as much of that I can stand. Enjoy your lessons, children. You will certainly not be forgetting them anytime soon,"
Lord Malfoy's words were ominous, but Narcissa had a mix of laughter and pity in her eyes. The two went into a side room, leaving the old wizard with the kids.
Noticing Crabbe and Goyle had stepped into the side room, Harry perked up. "Wait, where're Crabbe and Goyle?" Harry walked into the side room, noticing the two sitting on one a sofa and playing Exploding snap. Draco grinned, poking his head in as behind him, Flamel was talking to Narcissa. "Hey, you two gorillas! We're starting."
The two looked over, a surprised look on their faces as Harry elbowed Draco in the side. "Only one gorilla, Draco. The other's a Croc!" The children looked amongst each other for a moment before bursting into giggles, with Crabbe and Goyle grinning like madmen as Flamel had a quizzical look on his face.
Goyle threw his arm around Draco and gave him a Dutch rub as the others walked into the room as well, followed by Flamel. Harry whispered to the two, grinning. "You didn't think we'd forget you two, right? I invited you two here to learn too." Crabbe and Goyle shared a glance, Goyle letting Draco go as Crabbe shook his head.
"Are you sure? We don't really have anything special about us. We aren't magical nobility, we don't have a lot of magic and don't have the smarts like Granger." Crabbe grunted a bit, averting his gaze.
Harry frowned, "Of course I'm sure. You two are our friends too. I think you'll do great." As Harry spoke, Flamel clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, children. I'm not quite used to teaching so many at once, so you will have to bear with me. First of all, we will be going over the foundations of magic. Tell me. What have you been learning in History of Magic in your first year? I hear that Professor Binns is a bit of an addle-brained ghost."
"He was, until Harry figured out a way to trick him into teaching us." Neville spoke up. "First term was about the fall of Atlantis, and the second was about the founding of Albion."
"Oh, that's excellent. I expected far less. You see, children, there is a reason that ghosts have always taught History of Magic in Hogwarts. The reason for that is Merlin's Decree. But when ghosts are around for long enough without mental stimulation, they begin to get wrapped up in their own minds and forget how long it has been. Unfortunately, the Hogwarts professor falls under that category. I have mentioned to Albus many times that Binns needs to be spoken to in order to breathe 'life' into his spirit, but he always says that the man does fine." Harry was surprised at the revelation; He had never really thought about that; he thought Binns was just a professor to save the school from needing to get a new teacher.
Obviously, his startled face was shared by the others as Flamel laughed. "Really? Not a single one of you realized that? Well it's a good thing I pointed it out then. I hope that by the time my month here is finished, we will have plenty more of these moments. But indeed, Merlin's Decree, to explain it briefly, means that magic cannot be written when it is sufficiently powerful. This means much of the history of magic, due to being so intertwined with magic and knowledge of it is only able to be passed down by word of mouth or things such as magical creatures, paintings, or ghosts."
Hermione raised her hand, as Flamel laughed once more. "Just speak, child. I am no professor, and this isn't a school." Blushing slightly, Hermione asked her question, "Mister Flamel, why would Merlin make such a decree?"
"Well, when I asked him about it—" There was a gasp from beside Harry, as Harry kept his eyes fixed on the man. "He stated that magic was an important part of the world, and that it should never be passed down by simple books and written knowledge. To keep the strongest magic hidden, it was meant to be passed by master to apprentice, or from a parent to their children."
This started the small group excitedly talking as Flamel raised a hand. "Yes, I am that old. No, I will not answer fifty thousand questions about what Merlin was like. He was a good man, and that is all I will say."
Hermione looked like she was going to cry; even Draco seemed disappointed at the statement. Flamel clapped his hands together after a second, and grinned. "Now! Let's begin with some basic exercises. I am a powerful mage who has the ability to see magic. Due to this, I can tell the current levels of your power and how to increase that. Since the things I will teach require knowledge, will, and power we will begin today with these."
Without another moment to lose, the group was guided through several different exercises, with Flamel's eyes falling directly on Harry. Hary felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, as he saw the man's gaze directly on the Philosopher's Stone.
-Author's Notes-
Whew, another 6500 word chapter. Plenty of activity, but I still plan on releasing a new chapter this week on Thursday. The next chapter will be a bit smaller, but still.
If you're interested in helping by reading the chapters early and pointing out mistakes, let me know by sending me a message on Fanfiction or Ao3. Note if you include anything that moderately resembles a link on Fanfiction in a PM, your PM is deleted and I never get it so if you are interested, simply say "I'd like to beta" and then give me your Discord handle. For those on Ao3, just leave a comment with the information!
Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, not me. Maybe one day I'll have a series that captures imagination like hers did.