Chapter Text
The rat had no morals, no conscience, no scruples, no decency, no milk of rodent kindness, no compunctions, no higher feelings, no friendliness, no nothing."
E.B. White
~~~☆☆☆☆☆~~~
"One year down, six to go," Harry thought as he stumbled out of the Floo at Longbottom Manor having, just minutes before, left the Hogwarts Express to begin his first summer with his family.
He was greeted by his godbrother Neville who, as always, struggled to contain his amusement at Harry's less than adroit landing. Nudging his best friend with his shoulder, Harry bemoaned, "When will I ever get the hang of that?"
"Cheer up, Harry. I suspect by the time you reach thirty or so, you might stick one landing in five," chuckled Neville, unable to resist ribbing his best mate.
"Oh, as soon as that, you think? Such faith in me, Mister Nevvie, such faith!" Harry couldn't resist pulling his friend's leg in return, using the name gifted him by Topsy, the Hogwarts Head House-elf.
Augusta Longbottom, who had quietly emerged from the Floo as the boys conducted their back and forth, just shook her head in mock despair at their antics, then cleared them all of soot with a brisk wave of her wand.
"Come along then, Mister Nevvie and Sir Nimble. I'm sure Blossom has afternoon tea waiting for us," she teased as she led them out to the terrace to enjoy the cloudless early summer day.
The boys shared a look, they'd been bested by a master leg-puller it seemed. Neville's Gran had hidden depths.
In short order, the trio was seated under a light shade awning, around a small table loaded with beaded glasses of icy cold orangeade and plates of finger sandwiches and fairy cakes. "We're drinking Orangeade, Nan?" Harry shyly used the name his honorary grandmother had offered him. "Have you been Muggle shopping again?"
Augusta smiled innocently, "Me?" then relented and allowed that she'd taken a trip back to London with Pomona, accompanied this time by Poppy Pomfrey as well. "Tesco is rather a wonderful innovation. Such a delightful array of foods and drinks. Though it's so very strange that Muggles still haven't discovered the wonders of pumpkin juice. Still, we also visited the Harrods Food Hall, and they blended a custom tea for me, which was a fascinating process, rather akin to potion making." At that she took a sip of said tea and sighed with enjoyment at its subtle amalgamation of scents and flavours.
Hedwig arrived at that moment, having flown directly from Hogwarts, and perched on the back of Harry's chair to enjoy her own selection of gourmet owl treats that appeared on the table; it seemed Blossom had expanded her culinary repertoire.
Finally refreshed and replete from their travels (nearly twelve-year-old boys can put away a lot of food), the boys' thoughts inevitably turned to their plans for the summer. Augusta however, had a question and a suggestion that dimmed their enthusiasm a little.
"So how many summer assignments do you two have to get done? I know you're keen to get into the summer break, but what do you think of getting all those assignments behind you over the next few days? Then when Filius and Pomona get free of Hogwarts, you'll be unencumbered in your fun for nearly two full months."
Neville shared a look with Harry; the idea had merit but oh, they'd been so looking forward to being done with school for a while. Harry nodded back at Neville, "Much as I hate to say it Nan, it's a good idea. We can get stuck in right after breakfast tomorrow. Gran and Grandad thought they'd be free by Friday. That'll give us three whole days. I bet we can get done by then."
Neville sighed; he'd been outvoted it seemed. Even if it was a sensible idea, he was home for his first summer after being away for almost an entire year. His greenhouse was calling him! Augusta realised the dilemma her grandson was having. "Off to your greenhouse for a while then Neville. We'll see you at dinner." The boy needed no additional invitation, he was racing inside to change and then get his hands in the soil. Harry and Augusta followed inside more sedately, chatting in a desultory fashion about the goings on of the last term at school. They'd see Neville later, probably after Blossom had to drag him back inside to eat his dinner.
The Flouts, in the meantime, were also buckled down to work. As Heads of Houses and Professors, they had myriad responsibilities to get cleared before they'd be free to leave the Castle for the summer. While Pomona graded five years worth of end-of-year exams (thankfully the Wizarding Education Authority [WEA] was responsible for the OWL and NEWT students), Filius worked on his student records. He liked to keep a file on each individual, of their challenges and successes each year, all of their grades, feedback from other professors and notable achievements within the House and the School. He usually presented a copy of them to his students at the end of the final year, as a memento of their Hogwarts years, and it was a much relished gift amongst his former students.
When Pomona completed her exam grading and tallying of the final grades for her students, she headed out to see Minerva McGonagall who, as Deputy Headmistress, had the responsibility of amassing all the student grades and sending out the results letters in several weeks’ time.
The two women shared a few of their summer plans and Minerva confided, "I'm so glad you and Filius were able to take custody of young Harry. I warned Albus the day he dropped the child off, that they were the worst sort of Muggles, but he wouldn't listen. I know you can't share details, but it must have been bad to get the WCWD (Wizarding Children's Welfare Department) and the DMLE involved. I can't believe Albus tried to argue for the boy to go back there."
"All I can say, Minerva, is that I'm so very glad Filius' cousin is one of the best Goblin Healers. He had his work cut out for him. Still, that's behind us now. And Albus has no more power over Harry than any other Hogwarts student any longer. Harry is on the mend and we have a wonderful summer planned. Now we just have to get done with our end of year duties, then get through the final staff meeting. Speaking of that, has Albus indicated what time we're meeting Friday? We have plans for dinner with Augusta Longbottom and the boys. And, just quietly between you and me, Filius and I have a thirty-year wedding anniversary date night to sneak in somewhere as well."
Minerva snorted in amusement, "I still can't believe you two kept that secret for this long. Tell me, just how ticked off was Albus when he heard the news?"
"Filius said he ended up a rather peculiar shade of puce. Which got even worse when Augusta presented him with the Governors' directive, permitting married couples on staff."
An uncharacteristically gleeful Minerva replied, "I'll have to ask Filius for the Pensieve memory. Though I gather there's quite a line-up for that viewing. Anyway no, Albus has not set the time for the meeting, or even confirmed it will be Friday. If I was an uncharitable woman, I'd suspect he was delaying things, to keep you and Filius from Harry for as long as possible. He does tend to sulk when he doesn't get his way. Never mind, if he hasn't set the time by breakfast tomorrow, I'll pick the time myself and send a memo out. I think you can safely plan on seeing Harry for dinner Friday."
Pomona offered her thanks and left; she still had some work to do with the Hogwarts elves to have the greenhouses tended over the summer and to set up a planting schedule, so they'd have the necessary plants in time for classes next year. She also had an end of year tradition with the seventh years of her House, gifting them with a special plant that suited their temperaments and best qualities. These, like Filius' files, were rather prized and she'd often get reports on the health of the plants when she ran into the students in subsequent years. But for now, she had to plant some seeds and take cuttings to replenish the plants she'd gifted. A relaxing afternoon in the greenhouses sounded rather delightful.
By Thursday evening, almost all the Flout's end of year duties were done. They'd heard from Augusta that the boys were almost finished with their summer homework assignments and were 'itching to get to the fun stuff'. Their tradition was to meet with Topsy at the end of each year, to review if there were any issues with the running of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Houses, from the perspective of the house-elves. It also allowed them to deal with any lost items that could not be easily traced to owners or were of a questionable magical nature. Fortunately, the issues were few. The fifth year Ravenclaw boys had become rather slobbish in their dorm room upkeep during their OWLs, which would bear watching for the new school year. There was also a small infestation of Puffskeins, thanks to some second years allowing unauthorised 'fraternisation' of their pets in a quiet corner of the Hufflepuff Common Room, which would be dealt with over the holidays.
Chuckling over Topsy's delicate phrasing, Filius and Pomona offered their thanks to the hard-working house-elf, along with a thank-you gift of several Italian cookbooks, as Topsy has expressed interest in learning more of the cuisine that created pizza. Topsy exclaimed in delight. Historically Heads of Houses tended not to value the input of the house-elves on the running of Houses and the School. It was part of the reason Mistress Hoggie was so accommodating to the couple; they showed such respect for Hogwarts and her helpers.
"Many, many thanks, Mister Filly and Missy Pommy. You be having a good summer and is giving Mister Harry and Mister Nevvie, Topsy's best wishes," she squeaked out, before surprising each of them with quick hugs and popping out of the room before she could embarrass herself further.
In the end, it did take Minerva forcing the issue over breakfast the next morning, to get Dumbledore to schedule the final staff meeting. She insisted on making it a working lunch and had the elves put on one last pizza party for the year, as she'd be missing out for the next two months unless she braved a trip to the Muggle pizza place, she'd spotted in Inverness. Albus was a recalcitrant attendant at the meeting, which Minerva chaired, to ensure it stayed on track and she kept her promise to have the Flouts gone from the Castle before dinner time that evening. She even resorted to riding roughshod over Albus' attempts to draw each topic out. The only issue that had to be tabled in the end, was who would be taking over the DADA position. Albus just hinted mysteriously at certain plans in the works. Tired of his machinations, the rest of the staff refused to be drawn into a discussion of the topic. They, like their students earlier in the week, were ready for the summer holidays.
~~~☆☆☆☆☆~~~
Sirius Black relished these moments in the rooftop garden of St Mungo's. Heavily glamoured as always when Madam Bones and Gawain Robards took him upstairs for short periods, still the former Auror felt halfway free as he basked in the waning sun's rays and savoured the feeling of a warm breeze on his face. They couldn't do this often, and usually only after visiting hours were over, when there'd be less scrutiny, but these times were a healing balm to Sirius' soul.
The one-time Azkaban inmate was progressing steadily after seven months of physical and mind healing, but neither Sirius nor Amelia Bones felt it wise to push for a trial yet. Despite the evidence collected by Robards and Shacklebolt, and Amelia’s strong standing in the Wizengamot as Head of the DMLE, to be able to prove the case without any shred of doubt, Sirius Black also needed to appear, and be certified by his Healers, as fully sane and able to provide clear, rational testimony. Any signs of mental instability when on the stand would raise questions as to whether his mental state had influenced the accuracy of his Pensieve memories as well.
While these perceptions were incorrect (the Unspeakables could validate the veracity of the memories), the Wizengamot members were sadly lacking in their understanding of mental health issues, particularly from Dementor exposure and subsequent PTSD. And so, they were all resigned to holding off on a trial as long as Sirius's presence at St Mungo's remained hidden, and he was still making gains with his mind healing.
Physically the man was doing quite well. Most of the effects of malnutrition had been reversed, including rebuilding his bone density and organ function. He was getting some limited exercise in his private room on the Janus Thickey Ward, even if it mostly consisted of basic yoga and tai chi taught to him by a Muggle-born Healer. His strength and endurance had certainly improved over the last half year.
Sirius had also been able to have some limited contact with his godson Harry, in the form of awkward letters exchanged between virtual strangers. He'd initially thrown a fit over Harry being placed with the Dursleys and it had required more than a few mind healing sessions to work through the guilt. But now he was feeling stronger, more himself, he found himself resenting the fact that, even when freed, he wouldn't get automatic custody of the boy, despite James and Lily's Wills.
Amelia tried to smooth the waters with her old friend, "Sirius, look at it from Harry's point of view. You and he both spent ten years in fear and deprivation, only he's never known anything else. That's been his entire life. I know your childhood was crap, but you found amazing friends once you escaped to Hogwarts, and were even semi-adopted by the Potters, when you could no longer return home. Filius and Pomona are to him what the Potters were to you, a place of safety, of love and affection, a true home for the first time ever. He's afraid that you're going to force him away from them. I've literally had that discussion with him and assured him it wouldn't be the case."
"How dare you promise Harry that!" Sirius raged. "How can you know for sure he's better with them than he would be with me. I mean, I know it can't be right now, but when I'm free…"
Amelia laid a calming hand on her friend's arm, "Sirius, please listen to me. Right now, Harry's getting a chance to learn what a true home and family is. He's finally feeling like he's safe, for the first time ever. This is an eleven-year-old boy, being loved for the first time. And they're good to him. They always put Harry first, he only gets a tiny bit spoiled (and deservedly so in my opinion) and the Flouts offer him healthy boundaries as well. He looks to them for advice before racing into 'adventuring' as you or James used to do. He's done that practically since he was sorted into their Houses. There's been an instinctive connection on his part since the day he arrived at Hogwarts. You can't just race in and take over, and try to take their place, without hurting Harry and likely alienating him forever. You must listen to me on this!"
"But…" Sirius tried to protect, only to be halted by Amelia’s hand over his mouth.
"I know you loved Harry as a baby. But he's no longer an infant, Sirius. He's old enough that the WCWD takes his wishes into account with custody and guardianship arrangements. I beg of you, don't force him to choose. You're not going to like the outcome."
Still wearing a petulant look, Sirius subsided, "Well can I at least get to meet him in person then? Can't he come here for a visit during the summer hols?"
"Maybe Sirius, maybe," Amelia sighed. "It's just he's so very recognisable, looking like James and with that scar. Coming here is going to encourage questions that we don't want raised right now. Unless you've decided to push your luck with a trial right now? I don't want to risk something going wrong, and that might happen, even if we put Harry under a glamour. Perhaps we can get a secure Floo connection and at least let you have some face to face conversations. I'll have to look into how well we can safeguard that. Anyway, it's nothing we can fix right now, so how about we just enjoy this evening and I'll let you know what I work out."
~~~☆☆☆☆☆~~~
Harry, meanwhile, was having a much more enjoyable evening. His Gran and Grandad had arrived by Floo in the late afternoon, having escaped from Hogwarts at last. Harry surprised himself a little by rushing at them with huge hugs as they cleared the fireplace, having missed them both a ridiculous amount for such a short time apart.
Augusta, who'd been standing back and letting Harry greet the couple, tapped Neville on the shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Let's give them a few minutes; I think that Harry needs a bit of one-on-one time with Filius and Pomona. This family thing is all new to him." Neville followed her lead and the pair retreated to the hallway.
Neville quietly commented, "Harry really doesn't have any idea of what a family should be like, does he? I mean, I think I sort of knew that, but he nearly cried when we had to leave the Professors behind at Hogwarts and now it's like he hasn't seen them for months."
"Very perceptive Neville, I think you've hit on it exactly. Harry has much to learn about what it's like to be loved and cared for by the adults in his life. As I understand it, you're also the first friend he's ever been allowed to have. That's a lot for him to deal with and I think some emotional scenes are to be expected. I'm glad you understand and don't tease him for that."
"I'd never do that Gran," he vehemently reassured her. "He didn't deserve anything that was done to him and if it takes him a little time to find his feet, then I'm not going to give him trouble about it. He'd be the first to do the same for me."
Augusta put an arm around her grandson's shoulder pulling him into a gentle hug. She had no words for how proud she was of Neville in this moment, for his maturity and compassion.
A few scant minutes later, Harry emerged, with a grandparent on either side, unashamedly holding their hands, still needing that physical connection. The Longbottoms just shared wordless smiles at the sight, before shepherding the group out to the terrace again.
"What do you say to an early dinner out here, where we can enjoy this gorgeous day?" Augusta asked, receiving an eager response to the suggestion. In short order, Blossom had the table set for an informal dinner, popping in with a tray of hors d'oeuvres to snack on until the meal was ready. Pomona and Augusta both opted for a Pimms, while Filius selected a draught cider. The boys helped themselves to more of the delicious orangeade.
Once everyone was settled into their chairs around the now-enlarged table, thoughts turned to summer holiday ideas. Filius kicked off the questioning.
"I am sure you boys spent most of the train ride with your friends, making summer plans. So, what's on the wish list lads? Let me guess, the London Zoo?" he asked, pulling a self-inking quill and piece of parchment out of a pocket to make notes.
"Um, yeah, definitely the zoo," Harry began. "But we also talked about going back to some of the gardens we saw on that double-decker tour and Hermione said we dare not miss going to Kew Gardens. It's supposed to be amazing." Neville nodded along, offering fervent support to that last idea especially.
"That sounds like several day trips to do properly, and yes, I've always wanted to visit Kew," Pomona enthused. "Your friends can join in whatever parts they're interested in. And perhaps," shooting a side glance to Augusta, "there will be time for other London sights or shopping. "
Filius clapped his hands in delight, "That sounds splendid, my love." He then leaned towards Harry and Neville and, in a stage whisper, opined, "I suspect we'll be deserted for a ladies only shopping trip before the week is out. They'll not be able to resist the draw of Harrods."
Harry and Neville both laughed heartily at that, knowing it to be so very true. The ladies in question just shrugged, as if to say there was no point in denying facts and asked what other plans were on the list.
Neville answered, "I think a movie day is a definite must have. The Weasley twins have never been to one and are hoping they can talk their Mum into letting them come."
Harry chimed in, asking, "Is there such a thing as a magical zoo? It would be so cool to visit one if we could. Though we better not invite Hagrid along. He'd try to smuggle all the animals out with us." That very accurate assessment set off a round of laughter. Filius then answered that there was a magical zoo in Wales and that too went on the to-do list.
At that point, he had to put his quill and parchment away, as Blossom popped in to suggest they change for dinner if they wished; that they had about twenty minutes before she would be ready to serve. The group briefly dispersed to tidy up, allowing Filius and Pomona to shed school robes for lighter summer wear, and the boys to wash the rest of the ink stains off their fingers from the last of their summer homework.
A cool breeze had sprung up while they were gone, and Blossom snapped her fingers to set up an invisible wind break combined with an adaptive warming charm that would progressively combat a cooling evening.
As they dug into their asparagus soup, Pomona raised an issue that she thought might have Harry struggling a little. "So, Harry, your Grandad and I thought we would all head to the cottage on Sunday. It's south of the village of Naburn, which itself is south-west of York. You'll be able to choose which room you'd like to make into your own. Merry is looking forward to redecorating it with you. Neville, Augusta, you're both welcome at any time of course. And I'm sure I won't be able to keep Neville out of the gardens and greenhouses either. Perhaps we can put a trundle bed in your room Harry, for when Neville stays over."
As she'd suspected, Harry's face fell at that announcement. He hadn't considered he wouldn't be spending every waking moment of the summer holidays with his godbrother and best friend.
Neville, perceptive as always, piped up, "That's going to be so much fun for you Harry. A new room and place to explore; Hedwig will love that too. I'll visit all the time, and you can come here as well. We might even wear out the Floo connection. I bet we have sleepovers practically every night. Unless you get bored with me that is." He finished on a note of comedy, hoping to lift Harry's spirits.
Harry offered a weak smile in return, trying to regain his exhilaration for the summer ahead. "You're right, that will be fun. Though I think it's likely I'll lose track of you more, given you'll have two sets of greenhouses and exclusive access to your favourite professor for the summer. It may just be you and I, Grandad. Think we can find things to do?"
Glad to see Harry trying to embrace the news that they'd be separated some this summer, Filius took the opportunity to share an additional plan for the holiday.
"So, what would you boys say to spending a couple of weeks in France this summer? We were thinking about the first two weeks of August. Augusta is joining us, and Poppy hopes to come along as well. If you can stand four old fuddy duddies to come on holiday with you, that is."
"Versailles!" Neville exclaimed, receiving a nod from Pomona. "Could we go to the seaside for real?" Harry asked. Filius replied that it was in the plans and that the trip would combine both Muggle and magical elements.
"We've ordered some guidebooks for both, which arrived yesterday. So, we thought we could spend tomorrow planning the trip. That is if Neville can be dragged out of the garden for part of the day," Augusta teased.
Neville's wildly nodding head and broad grin indicated that might be possible. The meal continued with light conversation from there, Blossom serving lamb chops with fresh garden peas and baby potatoes for the main course and meringue cups, the insides painted with melted chocolate and then filled with freshly whipped cream and fruit for dessert. It was a contented group that retired for the night, aiming to start holiday planning over the breakfast table the next morning.
~~~☆☆☆☆☆~~~
The next morning was exciting in two ways. First, there were two Hogwarts owls waiting for them at breakfast, along with Poppy Pomfrey. The owls had brought their school results, Minerva having worked overtime to get them out early this year. Neville tore into his envelope eagerly and shouted in excitement, "I got Outstandings on Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, along with Exceeds Expectations on History, Potions and Astronomy. I even got an Acceptable in Flying! And I'm pretty sure you can chalk the Potions and Flying grades up to Harry. That and the minor details of a new wand and a core unbinding for everything else," he concluded, as everyone laughed at his exuberance.
"Well come on Harry, tell us how you did, lad," Poppy encouraged. Harry opened his envelope with considerably more reluctance than his godbrother, never having been allowed to excel at school before. He perused the letter three times with Hedwig perched on his shoulder seemingly reading the results as well, oblivious to the growing agitation of those around him, in total shock at the results.
He looked up to a bunch of eager faces, then announced, "I got Outstandings on everything but Astronomy and History, and for those I got Exceeds Expectations. I'm going to have to give thanks to Neville for studying for the Herbology exam with me as well. And you forgot to turn over the page Nev. I finished in fourth place for our year, and you were in sixth place! Wow!"
Harry leaned back in his chair, a little overwhelmed at receiving acknowledgement of his efforts, both in his results and in the congratulations from everyone around the table. He took a sip of pineapple juice in an attempt to calm himself and then just decided it was easier to accept the accolades. Soon everyone was digging into breakfast, while Blossom who'd been listening in from the kitchen as house-elves managed to do, started working on a cake to have with lunch, to celebrate Mister Harry and Mister Nevvie's successes (Topsy's nickname having caught on).
Breakfast done, soon there were six people and an owl clustered around a map, poring over magical and Muggle guidebooks, for an in-depth planning session. They decided on two weeks for sure, leaving the morning of the 1st of August, travelling via a multi-site international Portkey they would obtain from Gringotts. It was not a service commonly available to the Wizarding community, who by rights were supposed to go through the Ministry for all Portkeys, but Filius has no problems using his Goblin heritage for this, if only to lessen the amount of bureaucracy.
The plan was to spend most of the first week in and around Paris, using Side-along Apparition and Portkeys for the short hops to visit Versailles and the Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s Garden at Giverny. The minute Neville and Pomona read about the garden in their Muggle guidebook, it became an instant must see. The rest of the group gave in graciously, in truth rather entranced by the pictures as well. They would be staying in the Arrondissement Magique, which shared the portion of Paris known as the 7th Arrondissement by an incredible use of Wizarding space. A quieter neighbourhood, bordered by the Champs Du Mars and the Eiffel Tower to the west, the Seine to the north and the Hôtel des Invalides to the east, it offered many delightful opportunities for eating out, shopping, and picking up picnic supplies, on both the Muggle and magical sides.
It was also the location of the International Confederation of Wizards World Court, in the subterranean depths of the Hôtel and Esplanade des Invalides, which they hoped to tour. Poppy, Pomona and Augusta then spent a quiet few minutes plotting shopping opportunities. Perhaps they could send the boys off to climb to the top of a Cathedral or some other athletic pursuit. Filius just pursed his lips, looked down at his leg length and the number of stairs listed in the guidebook and resolved that the 'boys' would instead be taste testing their way around Paris' most notable patisseries or something similarly relaxing. Neither Neville nor Harry felt the need to argue with that.
Moving on, the next decision was to brave a Muggle fast train to Provence. Filius was intrigued at travelling at 170 miles per hour (almost 275 kilometres per hour), while watching the scenery go by. Portkeys and Apparition might be swift, but they weren't much for sightseeing opportunities as you went. Provence would be followed by four or five days in a small town with a white sandy beach on the French Riviera, where Harry would get his much anticipated days at the seaside. Hedwig was musing on whether she'd enjoy freshly caught fish or snails best according to Harry, which had the group laughing at her plans to sample her own version of French cuisine.
The final destination, it was decided, was the island of Mont St Michel with its historic Abbey, off the coast of Bretagne. It had been somewhere Augusta had wanted to see, ever since a childhood friend had honeymooned in the region many decades before. After their overnight stay and Abbey visit, they'd take a Portkey back to Longbottom Manor.
Their plans finalised, Poppy, Pomona and Augusta took themselves off to London for more shopping, certain they'd need a much greater variety of clothing options for travelling in the Muggle world as much as they would be. Filius just rolled his eyes, and relaxed on a chaise longue on the terrace, with a cool glass of pumpkin juice, while the boys headed for Neville's greenhouse, Harry indulging his best friend's need for some serious plant time.
~~~☆☆☆☆☆~~~
Albus Dumbledore was also planning that Saturday morning, but with much less joy than the holiday group. As more days passed since the students had left Hogwarts, he began to realise that he'd been thwarted in his attempts to get Harry's attention firmly on himself all year. He suspected Filius and his Goblin relatives had had a hand in that, because the diversionary tactics used spoke to some sort of warding device carried on the boy's person, something the Goblins had developed an unmatched specialty in. He knew he was going to have to change tactics if he was to bring Harry to his side, to build him up (and break him down) to fulfil his prophesied duty and to perhaps supplant Filius and Pomona as the only adults the boy could trust. Drawing a blank on how to approach the problem, he decided to take himself off to wander the Castle and grounds, finding it soothing and a good way to reset his brain.
Refreshed by his walk, Dumbledore ended his stroll at the Great Hall, sharing a rich and comforting lunch of all his favourites with Argus Filch, Sybil Trelawney and Hagrid. Rather bored with the less than scintillating company (Hagrid was a dear fellow, but so obsessed with his creatures), he strolled back to his offices, before settling himself in an armchair by the window, next to Fawkes' perch. The heat of the summer sun pouring through the window, on top of a hearty lunch soon had him snoring contentedly away, much to Fawkes' displeasure at the noise, which precipitated his next burning by a day or two.
Waking up several hours later and noticing the pile of Phoenix ashes, Albus returned to pondering his dilemma, as he racked his brains for someone he could trust, to bring into the school and Harry's life. He was also cognisant of his need to fill the Defence Against Dark Arts position, as volunteers for the role were becoming pretty thin on the ground. He'd had one application in the form of that mendacious buffoon Gilderoy Lockhart, but that would be a choice of last resort. As he unwrapped another lemon drop, a name popped into his head. "I wonder…I wonder," he considered. It might work, he thought, though he'd have to force Severus to swallow his pride to not only have this man in the school, but also to brew potions for him. He crossed to his filing cabinet where he kept records of former members of the Order of the Phoenix. Courtesy of some rather nifty spell work (that he was rather proud of, thank you very much), he was able to keep tabs on the locations of his compatriots from the last war. The spell could only be thwarted if the target was in an unplottable location or hidden under a Fidelius spell.
"Ahh, there you are my boy. Now what in the world are you doing in Japan of all places? Hmm, and you're connected to a Floo. Time for an international Floo call, I think. I'm sure I can get you to see my way of thinking on what Harry needs to be doing and learning."
With that, totally clueless of the time zone difference between Britain and Japan (not that this was likely to stop him anyway), he reached for a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the fireplace and spoke self-importantly into the green flames, "Albus Dumbledore for Remus Lupin, Tokyo, Japan."
A bleary-eyed man, wearing rumpled pyjamas and hastily belting up a dressing gown, entered the sitting room of his Tokyo flat. One of the peculiarities of renting in the magical part of the city was finding flats with fireplaces, even though there were no visible chimneys. Still, they connected efficiently to the Floo network and provided a loud enough notification of a caller throughout the flat to wake someone from a dead sleep. Which was exactly what had happened to one Remus Lupin.
Rubbing his eyes, the thin, greying man with scars down his cheeks found himself blinking quizzically at the face in the green flames. "Albus, what in the world are you doing calling me at this time?"
"Oh dear, I must have caught you in bed. What time is it there? It's only four in the afternoon here. I somehow always forget to check these things," he offered apologetically, while clearly not actually issuing an apology.
"It's midnight here Albus. I've been asleep for nearly two hours," Lupin wryly responded. "But I'm sure you haven't called me to discuss international time zones, so what can I do for you in order to return to my bed," he continued acerbically.
"I have a wonderful opportunity for you, Remus my boy. What would you say to taking on the Defence Against Dark Arts position in September? You'd be perfect for the job," was the ingratiating reply.
Lupin shook his head. Sometimes he really felt that Dumbledore had missed his calling as a snake oil salesman. "At the risk of repeating myself, Albus, you are surely aware that I live in Japan these days? I've made a home here, with plenty of students to teach and the magical community is much more enlightened in its dealings with Were creatures. In fact, they provide Wolfsbane free of charge each month. Why would I give all this up to return to Britain, with all its suspicion and scorn? To being treated as worse than a second-class citizen by the entire Wizarding community! I'd be barmy Albus, to even consider it. And for what, one year only and then to lose everything again when that blasted DADA curse kicks in. Thanks, but no thanks Albus. Now if there's nothing else, I have plans for tomorrow and would like to get back to my interrupted sleep so that I may enjoy them." At that, Lupin closed the Floo connection, blocking it from further international calls and returned to bed, shaking his head at the audacity of one Albus 'Bloody' Dumbledore.
Being summarily shut down as he had rather rocked the Headmaster back on his heels. He thought for sure that Lupin would have jumped at the chance to come home. After all, surely Japan couldn't hold a candle to the delights and prestige of Hogwarts and being with his own people again. Sadly, Albus' ethnocentricity (some might say bigotry) and capacity for self-delusion would not allow him to recognise that the younger man had every right to determine his own pathway in life. Instead, it just fuelled his determination to get his own way even more.
Reaching for a quill and piece of parchment, Dumbledore began to pen a letter to Remus. After playing up how much better Hogwarts must be than anything that could be found in a foreign land, he played his trump card and continued writing.
Young Harry Potter just finished his first year with us. The poor boy has had a terrible time it seems, with his Muggle relatives, and we had to have him removed for his safety. I am obviously not the ideal foster parent, given my responsibilities with the school, Wizengamot and the ICW, so after consideration, I turned Harry over to be placed with a magical foster couple as determined by the WCWD. I do believe they mean well, but I think Harry would benefit greatly from having one of his parents' dearest friends close by. He is rather a timid child and appears over-reliant on the support of his professors to build his confidence. Which seems out of character considering who his father was, and knowing more about the Potters and your friendship could only help to draw him out of his shell and help him to shine.
Dear boy, please do reconsider the DADA position. Hogwarts will provide a relocation package to assist with your return home, monthly access to Wolfsbane potion at no charge, and will also cover the cost of your return to Japan at the end of the school year if you should choose not to remain employed by Hogwarts or stay in Britain. In addition, please advise your current salary as we would be willing to offer a twenty five percent premium over that amount.
I would consider it a personal favour if you were to take the DADA position and help Harry find his confidence. I have complete certainty that you are the perfect candidate for both roles.
I await your return owl,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Order of Merlin 1st Class,
Headmaster – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,
Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot &
Supreme Mugwump – International Confederation of Wizards
Reading over his letter once more and satisfied with the tone he'd struck, Dumbledore gazed at a minute fluffball of ashy grey feathers that sat on the tray below Fawkes' perch. "Blasted bird, what a time to burn early," he declared. "Just when I need to get this letter off immediately. Ah well, the fastest long-distance owl in the Owlery will have to suffice, I suppose. Whatever possessed Lupin to move all the way to Japan anyway?" At that, he toddled off to find the single long-suffering bird that remained in the Owlery, after the more experienced owls took off in a huge flurry of wings at the glint they all knew too well in the Headmaster's eye. Satisfied his missive was on its way, and absolutely certain that it would sway Remus to his cause, the Headmaster returned to his office and a few rounds of Muggle solitaire to kill the rest of the time until dinner.