John Potter glared at the book in his lap and shut it with a loud thud. The cover of the 'Standard Book of Charms 4' stared back at him, as if mocking him for his incompetence.

Picking up his wand from the bed, he pointed it at the discarded piece of parchment in the dustbin and spoke the summoning charm, complete with the wand movements.

But no, the parchment didn't stir. Not even an inch.

He huffed in annoyance.

This was impossible. How was it that such a simple fourth year charm was proving to be beyond him? He just wanted to be little bit ahead of his peers before the school started.

When after the eighth try, all he could do was make the parchment float uselessly an inch in the air, he got up and left his room.

Downstairs, the dinner table was being set by the elderly Potter elf.

"Julius, where is everyone?"

The old majordomo of the household regarded his young master. "Master James is in the blue parlour along with young Mistress Rose. Young Mistress Dorea is up in her room and Mistress Lily is out."

Mother is out? At this hour? Whatever the hell for?

"Where has mum gone?" he asked.

Julius shook his head. "I cannot say."

John sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

Sometimes, he really thought the elf was deliberately withholding information from him. After all, what can 'I cannot say' even mean other than either not knowing the answer or just a refusal to answer?

"Is Dinner ready to be served?" he asked instead.

"In half an hour, young master." Julius replied, not even looking up from his task.

John resisted the urge to huff again and instead chose to walk to the room where his father was. Maybe he knew where Mum had gone? He did need help with the charm, it seemed, because no matter how much he tried by himself, he came up with nothing.

"Dad?" he called out.

James Potter looked up from a thick Transfiguration textbook in his lap. Rose looked at him from beside Dad with her usual inscrutable look which she'd taken from neither of their parents. Had he disturbed their new advanced transfiguration discussion?

"Where has Mum gone? I was hoping to get her help on a charm."

James raised an eyebrow. "Which charm, son? Maybe I can help."

John resisted the urge to snap from frustration. Here was his younger sister learning and practising from Merlin knows which Transfiguration textbook and he, John Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived couldn't even get a fourth year spell right on his own.

"It's the summoning charm," he muttered with reluctance.

James beckoned him, nodding patiently. He was always patient. "Your old man can definitely help with it. Let's not bother your mum today."

John came to sit beside them both and took his wand out from his dragon-leather holster. It had been a gift from his Mum.

Rose nodded at him, taking the thick transfiguration from their Dad to practise on her own.

"What are you learning?" John asked curiously.

Rose smiled. "Animate Conjuration," she replied simply, "I'm stuck in the part where you're supposed to do infuse the animals with their natural instincts using the Pierce Theory."

John nodded along, as if he understood everything she'd spoken.

"It's a NEWT level transfiguration," James supplied, puffing up proudly. "Not even I was so advanced before my OWL year."

"That's amazing!" John smiled at his sister, hoping it looked genuine, but she was already getting back to her practise.

A full thirty minutes later, he was able to move a book and a few small items from their place. Not into his waiting hand, no, he wasn't so lucky, but a few feet towards him. He was satisfied for now, his good cheer finally returning.

Putting down his wand, he sighed, once again hoping for Mum's tutelage. His father taught well but he had an instinctual grasp of magic that John lacked, so it made some obvious tasks difficult to achieve. His mum always knew exactly which of the basics he struggled with.

"Where did Mum go anyway?" he asked, sipping his glass of ice water.

"She's with Harry. He was hurt from some spell practise," James said with a worried frown.

John's brows furrowed in thought. What exactly could his brother he practising that could hurt him? None of the spells he could do had any chance of hurting him.

"Didn't you check on him, Dad?" Rose asked softly, looking concerned.

James nodded. "He was still resting then, I left but your mum stayed."

They were now heading to the dining room. "Which spell caused it?" John inquired.

James shrugged. "Bella just said that he was doing some advanced stuff in their practise session earlier."

John snorted. "Yeah, right."

Rose pinched him on the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being unkind," she said testily.

John glared back. "Maybe he blew something up and hurt himself." Rose took another swipe at him and he ducked just in time.

He swallowed, suddenly realizing something. Turning to his dad, he asked, "Did you say he was practising with Aunt Bella? Mum's at Grimmauld?"

James looked at his son disapprovingly. "Yes, Harry is staying there with Sirius and Bella."

But why? John thought, all of his good mood vanishing in an instant. Why did Harry get to stay with Bella, when John had never even spent an entire evening alone with her at a time? And why did Bella invite him anyway? And for the entiresummer? Didn't he like spending the summer with those Muggles?

John swallowed down his jealousy with some effort and took a seat at the table. Rose sat away from him, next to James. He didn't mind, not at all.

The circular dining table now had three seats remaining.

"Didn't Mum say she'll be back for dinner?" he asked instead.

James nodded but said nothing. Just then, Dorea barged in, panting.

"Harry was hurt?" she blurted out. Her big, dark doe eyes were wide in concern, looking from her Dad to Rose in question.

What followed was another explanation of Harry's plight to his youngest sister, much to John's annoyance. The concern that his entire family exhibited at the wayward son grated on him. It was as if he evoked more concern out of his family through his absence than John could ever do with his presence.

James asked Julius after Lily.

"Mistress is not home yet, Master," Julius replied with his usual gravity.

Before they could speculate even more on the issue, a massive spectre of light burst unceremoniously into the room. James stood up, wand in hand while John, Rose and Dorea looked on, stupefied.

The ball of light then coalesced into a majestic stag of all things, and it looked like John was seeing a translucent version of his Dad's animagus form.

The stag then began to speak to James in an ethereal Harry's voice. "Dad, I'm keeping mum for dinner at Grimmauld, she'll be back in two hours."

And then it bowed and dissolved into a fine mist of silvery smoke.

John kept staring at the place where the beautiful Patronus had stood addressing them, stunned beyond belief.

"Incredible!" James whispered in awe.

Dorea was the first to recover, a big smile on her face. "That was Harry!"

"That stag looked just like you, Dad," Rose added, also grinning. "Wasn't that the Patronus charm?"

James beamed. "Yep!" he said, popping the 'p'. "I didn't know Harry was so good at it! And at his age too! Just incredible!"

John noted absently that even Julius had been staring on in barely masked appreciation. "Master, may I start serving, since Mistress will not be joining us today?" he asked.

"Of course, of course! Serve away!" James replied excitedly.

As the elf began to bustle about his task, Rose spoke up, her emerald green eyes glowing. "Does this mean Mum and Harry are talking?"

There was an undercurrent of hope in her voice that nobody missed. But that hope had been dashed so many times in the last four years that John barely stopped himself from wincing.

If it was true then had Harry finally taken steps to reconcile with his parents? Has his brother stopped scorning his parents then?

John grimaced, shaking his head to himself. Nobody knew what to expect from Harry. He wouldn't be holding his breath.

James nodded, "It looks like it."

-_- .

It had been a good day, Harry decided, yawning as he reminisced about the decidedly surreal evening he'd spent in the company of Lily Potter. They'd had an enjoyable dinner and after she'd gone back to Potter Manor, he'd retired too, feeling exhausted. His body was, it seemed, still getting used to the extensive use of magic he'd started to demanded from it.

Noting the time to be 5 o'clock in the morning, he got up, no longer sleepy and trudged downstairs.

Stepping outside the large double doors into the sunlit garden, he inhaled deeply, feeling happy.

"Six rounds should do it," he murmured.

Making up his mind, he began to run along the walking path surrounding the shrubbery, covering roughly the entire expanse of the property.

In his fourth lap, he noticed a lone figure standing outside the doors, watching him.

Deciding to have some fun, he took off his t-shirt and continued running the last laps. Making sure that the figure hadn't moved from its position, he finally began to make his way back.

Draped in a slinky emerald silk nightgown, Bella stood there, an ethereal vision that eclipsed the collective beauty of Hogwarts' female student body. Her hair, a cascade of raven curls, framed her heart-shaped face, drawing attention to her slender neck and delicate shoulders. Beneath the gown, the gentle yet substantial swell of her breasts, a subject of countless wizards' fantasies and witches' envy, hinted at the curves hidden beneath the fabric. Her slender waist, taut stomach, and full hips formed an hourglass figure that had earned her the coveted 'Heartthrob of the Year' title from Witch Weekly for eleven consecutive years. A true enchantress, she was whispered to be Europe's most desirable witch, a reputation as timeless as the stars.

"Bella!" he called out, beaming. "Good morning!"

The witch was a little startled on his approach and took a step back. Harry smirked, opening his arms and approached to give her a sweaty hug.

Bella's eyes widened into a glare. "Don't you dare!"

"Oh come on, Bella!" Harry teased, nearing her in lengthy strides.

Bella backed up, leaning against the door with a foot inside the house.

"Harry, don't come closer," she warned.

Harry didn't listen and ran at her to close the distance.

Bella shrieked, barely avoiding him and stepped into the house. "You stink, go into the shower, now!" she commanded but to no avail.

Harry was determined. With a smirk, he bent down intending to scoop her into his arms and she ran.

"Bellllaaa!" he called in a sing-song voice.

The witch whipped out her wand. "I'll curse you, Harry!"

Harry laughed. "You wouldn't."

Bella fired a tripping jinx at him that he dodged. Bella had almost crossed over into the stairs when she felt two strong arms enveloping her around the middle and felt her feet leave the floor.

"Harry, you stupid boy! Put me down!" she shrieked, her face a deep shade of red, from both exertion and mortification. She fervently hoped Sirius wasn't home or he wouldn't ever let her live it down.

"No," came the reply from her infuriating godson as he sat down on a sofa in the small parlour, pulling her against him, her hands flailing and landing desperately on his naked chest as her eyes met his smirking, unrepentant ones.

"What the fuck, Harry?!"

His arms around her, she tried to get up but only ended up losing her balance and straddling him. Harry saw her swallowing hard, now beet red and avoiding his eyes. Harry knew he wasn't particularly muscular, only lean and mostly fit, and her sweet discomfort gave him a confidence that he needed.

"Sorry, not sorry. This is punishment for secretly staring at me," he said in a mock glare.

Bella sighed, resisting the urge to squirm, all fight leaving her body. "I wasn't staring," she shot back.

"Sure you weren't," he teased. "Then why did you run away from me?"

Bella slapped his chest instinctively and sniffed. "I wasn't. I simply didn't want your sweaty, stinking self anywhere near me."

Harry blew her a raspberry. "I hope you are satisfied with the result."

Bella tried to get up but that only led to his hands holding her tighter around the waist. Harry absently noted that the knot holding her nightgown together had come off and her thin, dark green chemise was now visible from the partition. His breeches tightened considerably when he noted how her substantial bust was pushed up against his chest and arms.

Noticing her uncomfortable aversion of gaze from his, he decided that it was enough.

Slowly, he released her while keeping a smirk on his face. Bella discreetly waved her wand and her nightgown restored itself to its previous proper state.

"Anyway, Sirius will soon be here. I'm sure you'd like to be freshened up before he arrives," Bella remarked, still avoiding his gaze but her colour had now returned to normal.

Harry hummed. "Yes, I should."

Then he turned to face her, hoping to meet her eyes. "And Bella," she looked up at him, "Thank you for yesterday," at her confused gaze, he hastened to explain, "For bringing my Mum here and helping me talk to her."

Bella's gaze softened.

"Of course, Harry, it's the least I could do," she replied, "Besides, I should thank you too for relieving her of the burden she and James have been carrying for so long."

Harry nodded.

"Now go get ready," Bella smiled, "Breakfast should be ready soon."

-_- .

Rose Potter knocked on the door of his baby sister's bedroom and entered. Dorea was curled up in her bed, a soft light shining from above her shoulders helping her read. In that moment, she looked so much like her Grandmother Dorea Black that it was almost uncanny.

So engrossed was she that Rose had to go sit beside her on the bed to break her concentration.

"Rose!" Dorea cried, hugging her.

The two sisters snuggled up under the heavy blankets and faced each other. For as long as she remembered, she and Dorea liked to have these cosy nighttime talks to make sense of the world. In Hogwarts, it had been cut short due to them being housed in different dorms, but they still found time to talk, and Rose would swear her little sister helped her as much she hoped she could help Dorea.

"Mum looked so happy," Dorea began.

Rose smiled. "Yes! I was happy seeing her so happy. I almost couldn't believe it."

Dorea bit her lip. "Do you think they really are okay now? Harry and Mum? Do you know if Harry will want to come here and..."

Rose rubbed her sister's shoulders cajolingly. "I'm thinking that all would soon be okay in the Potter household. And when Harry visits tomorrow, we'll know."

Dorea nodded, closing her eyes. "Do you think Harry will like me?" she asked in a small voice.

"It's impossible to not like you, my little sister, and I'm sure we'll all witness how quickly he replaces me as your best friend," Rose replied in mock-seriousness.

"Oh, Rosie!" Dorea opened her eyes and held her sister's hands in her own, "No one can replace you. Just like no one can replace Harry."

The redheaded witch smirked, "And John?"

Dorea sighed. "Will he be okay? He didn't look happy when Mum said that Harry forgave them."

Rose shook her head. "John can be...difficult."

"Why?" she asked, a tinge of frustration marring her soft voice.

"I don't know," Rose began in reply, pausing to collect her thoughts, "I think he's jealous of Harry."

Dorea looked incredulous, as if such a thought was just blasphemy. And Rose thought that she may as well be right.

"That's so stupid!" the dark haired witch exclaimed, not knowing what else to say to that. "It makes no sense!"

Rose looked down at their joined hands. "I agree with you. John has everything that Harry doesn't. He's always had it, and he's still acting weird."

Dorea lay her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. "I just want Mum and Dad to be happy and there is a chance now that Harry will be with us soon. But if John keeps being weird, they'll still worry."

Her big sister smiled ruefully. "I think it's the job of parents to worry for their children, don't you? No matter what happens, they'll always have something to worry about."

"I know that!" Dorea said, "I just want everything to be okay for us."

Rose grinned with confidence. She was still apprehensive for tomorrow but didn't show it. "I have a feeling it will be."

-_- .

Harry was happy to be back to practising his spellwork, a day's worth of rest had become a day too long to be away from his routine.

The study in which he was sitting, a secluded haven joined to the grand duelling chamber, was a testament to the Black family's enduring wealth and refined taste. Panelled walls, adorned with pictures of Manor homes that he guessed belonged to the family, stretched from floor to ceiling, their dark wood contrasting sharply with the soft glow of the antique brass lamps. A small, mahogany desk, dominated the room, now scattered with his reading materials. A plush armchair, upholstered in deep olive green velvet, sat nearby, perfect for leisurely reading or contemplation. The air was thick with the scent of aged leather and polished wood, a comforting familiarity that spoke of generations of opulence.

Bella had shown her gratitude for making Lily happy by introducing him to the grand library of her home, whose size, he could swear, was bigger than the entire Dursley household. Walking around the rows upon rows of aged books, she had handpicked some tomes for his advancement. Particularly in the art of duelling and battle.

Then, having left to his own devices as his godmother had gone to work, Harry hadn't wasted any time in getting started.

One thing his younger counterpart had excelled in was his theory. He'd been quite adept at reading ahead of his peers, knowing spells that not even the best students in the school couldn't boast of, and had chosen to work to understand the inner workings of magic that almost nobody showed an interest in. Magical theory was something only certified Masters studied to hone in their craft to a degree in the hopes of either working on a project of their own or improving the effects of an existing spell.

Harry found it fascinating, and his thirst for knowledge complemented beautifully with how good he was now with a wand, and improving every day. Bella had gushed at him, but still, in the end, had given him pointers to improve.

He couldn't wait for the day he could beat Bella. If he hoped to meet and surpass the titans such as Dumbledore and Voldemort, he certainly had to, and do it soon.

His magical sensing needed work as did his casting speed. In terms of spell choices, he needed to study more advanced destructive spells, learn to combine them creatively with charms and transfiguration and even keep abreast of his surroundings in a way that normal witches and wizards couldn't. If you could use your magic to see with your eyes closed and defend yourself even behind your back, you could theoretically become invincible.

It sounded simple in theory and in practise, only seven wizards and four witches in history had ever become that good. And two of those were already in his own time.

It was an hour and ten minutes into his work that he was greeted by a knock on the door and he opened it to find his grinning godfather.

"Harry! Bloody hell, you've grown!" Sirius said, entering the study and glomping him. "You're almost as tall as me now, and you're not even fourteen!"

The almost fourteen year old wizard felt a strange concoction of emotions then, most of all, happiness and gratitude.
"How are you, Sirius? And where have you been?" he said, hoping Sirius didn't comment on his hoarse voice.

Sirius dumped himself into a chair and Harry took one beside him. Not only did Sirius look healthy with his shoulder length hair and mischievous eyes, he also looked carefree, like a person who'd never set a foot inside Azkaban. And Harry was immensely grateful for it.

"Oh, here and there!" Sirius said carelessly, "The ICW is being stupid again, with its refusal to lend France a hand in building up. The goblins are demanding reparations for the damage and not a single member nation is willing to lift a finger to agree to the demands of the greedy bastards. Then there is their threat of economic instability, a bank robber who we've been chasing putting the goblins in even more of a foul temper because their security had been lax since the war and the robber took full advantage of it, reports of important people going missing, and the usual rigmarole."

Harry blinked at him in amusement. "So you've been busy."

Sirius stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Apparently, so have you. You don't look like the Harry I know!"

The wizard in question smirked. "That's right. I've changed."

Sirius guffawed. "So I hear. Bella told me you almost beat her with a wand. Now that is something I'd like to witness."

"I'm sure you will," Harry snorted. "But no, I didn't beat her. Nowhere close. I still have a long way to go," he shifted in his seat, "How bad is France?"

Sirius sobered up a little. "Bad. The almost coup and the recent Goblin rebellion has left quite a mess to deal with. And the new government isn't helping matters."

Harry frowned. "Is there a reason they're butting heads with the DOJ?"

"Pride? Corruption? Carelessness? It could be anything or everything. Still, we've been able to help with securing a ton of cities and more is being done as we speak."

"What, are they still confident with their own loyal Auror force?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Believe me," Sirius snorted, "the Minister tried. But I've put the country under the Emergency Charter of the ICW, and used the authority to deploy my own hit-wizards. Being head of the department has its perks."

Harry hummed appreciatively. Out of everyone in the family, Sirius was the best travelled and with the most political power, he did literally manage the Department of Justice of the International Confederation of Wizards, after all.

Sirius suddenly sat up straighter. "I've also heard that you've been seducing some witches," he waved a finger at his godson. "I need all the details. Tell me who lost her virginity to my handsome godson."

"Ha! Not a chance. I suppose next you'll be asking me for a pensieve memory?" Harry denied.

Sirius stared at him with his mouth wide open. "She was thatgood?" he whispered, wagging his eyebrows.

Harry laughed, absolutely loving this version of Sirius. Here was his godfather, an even better version of him, that he'd missed so much!

Internally, he vowed to do everything in his power to make sure this jovial and carefree Sirius stayed exactly the same.

"I'm sure I can share one or two memories of my future...escapades. IfI can count on your help with a few things..." Harry trailed off, willing himself to appear nonchalant.

Sirius stared at him astonishment as if he couldn't believe his ears. Then, as if his brain had engaged again, he cried, "Anything! I'd have helped you anyway but now, fuck yes!"

Harry laughed a full belly laugh which his silly godfather joined in and soon, they were catching up just like old times in Grimmauld in Harry's previous life.

"Now, my dear old godfather, how about a friendly duel?"

Sirius smirked. "I thought you'll never ask. And old, really? I'm not even thirty-three."

"And I'm not even fourteen. I'm sure if I beat you, you'll feel even older."

Sirius growled, palming his wand. "Bring it on. We'll see who beats who."

-_- .

Lucius Malfoy had a spring in his step as he exited his Master's chambers. Arrangements were in full swing, and soon, very soon, his Master will be coming out from the shadows and be by his side, taking the world at his will. Lucius, as a proud pureblood, will be there beside his Lord, enjoying his share of the winnings.

The Muggle spoils that he kept for his associates in his dungeons felt puny by comparison.

"Master's plan is perfect, isn't it, Malfoy?" exclaimed his brute associate Tiberius Nott.

"Indeed," he found himself replying, "Bringing in young Barty was a stroke of genius." Even the annoying presence of Nott wasn't going to dampen his spirits today.

Nott snorted. "It's a pity that Master isn't using him to get rid of Dumbledore."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "And betray his allegiances and sacrifice his cover in the process? I thought you had more brains than that, Nott."

Nott fumed. "I don't know why the boy can't be kidnapped now? A full moon in August is the same as a full moon in June, it can easily be done then!"

"I don't expect you to know the intricacies of brewing a potion as dangerous as Master needs, Nott. Besides, Master has his reasons, it's not up to us to question them."

Nott growled but didn't retort. Lucius suspected that he had run out of arguments.

When they turned the corner in his Manor, Nott began to go down the steps, in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked testily.

Nott gave him a uncouth grin.

"After seeing how much work Master has ordered upon us, I find that I am in need of some refreshments. It's a good thing you keep those pretty little things in your dungeons, isn't it?" he cackled, running off.

Lucius sighed in consternation.

His Master had been clear that a regular supply of Muggles needed to be maintained for his followers. Lucius consoled himself with the fact that at least he didn't sully himself so badly as to touch those Muggles. Mudbloods at least contained magic, they were much more to his taste.

Thinking of mudbloods made him think of a pretty little Gryffindor witch at Hogwarts that his son Draco had told him about. Draco had been adamant for quite a while that he needed to teach her a lesson.

How was it that he'd described her? Oh yes—uptight, prude, beaver, know-it-all. Lucius almost felt giddy at the thought of finally getting her for himself. Oh yes, he would take great pleasure in breaking her.

For the umpteenth time, Lucius cursed the name of Dumbledore. He was still resisting the idea of hosting the Triwizard Tournament, making him spend more gold at 'convincing' the right people that it was worth it. Had the Headmaster agreed already, so many of his Master's plans could've been moved ahead.

But no. Suddenly, the Headmaster had developed common sense. A sense of responsibility. And his wrath in the first few years of his Master's downfall had been a thing to behold. That blasphemy still made his blood boil in anger.

Lucius had been fortunate to escape Azkaban by his teeth. It was only the idiocy of the Bagnold administration that had unknowingly saved him and his family from receiving the same treatment as so many of his colleagues. Many of his comrades had been punished with life in Azkaban.

Lucius once again suppressed a shudder at remembering what an angry Dumbledore was actually capable of.

No matter, he thought, getting rid of unpleasant thoughts. The world was changing again. His Master was going to rise again.

And he will be able to play with the Mudbloods to his heart's content.

He barely suppressed his glee as he entered his wife's quarters. She would have to do for now. At least until he got access to the Mudblood at Hogwarts.

He liked them young, after all.

-_- .