Memories
"So, who are you asking to the Ball?"
It was already the weekend, two days since the Yule Ball was announced, and Ron was already asking the question neither of them was prepared for. Despite Gnarl and Andromeda's advice, Harry wasn't too keen on having his personal life be part of the public domain. Likewise, he wasn't sure how Hermione wanted to broach the subject. He wasn't going to break her trust by telling everyone they were going together if she wanted to keep it private. At least until the last minute, when everyone watches him dancing with her in the Great Hall.
"I'm not sure. I'm sure I'll find someone willing to go with me."
Ron rolled his eyes at Harry's response. "Right. Well, I'm sure someone is willing."
"I can only hope. But what about you Ron? Who's the lucky girl you'll be asking to the Ball?"
Ron blinked in surprise at Harry's question.
"I-uhm... I haven't decided yet."
"Well, who's your first choice?" Hermione, sensing an opportunity to divert attention away from her and Harry, joins in Harry's questioning.
"Uhm... I guess it's either Lavender or Parvati since they're in our year. Not sure how I should-"
"Pretend you have the courage of Godric himself, walk up to them, and ask them to the Ball. Simple as that."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you plan to get your date?"
Harry smiled. "It is. And I have no reason to think it wouldn't work."
"Harry's right Ron." Hermione piped up, happy the conversation was veering away from her and Harry. "The other girls have been gossiping about this for months now, especially Lavender and Parvati. The best way to get a date with one of them is to go up to them and ask. Maybe give them some flowers, to butter them up."
"Flowers... what kind? And where am I going to get some flowers on short notice?"
"Use the Bouquet Spell. As long as you know what you want, you'll conjure up a perfect bouquet for your proposal." Harry helpfully offered said tip, remembering how Garrick had conjured a bouquet with Fleur's wand at the Wand Weighing.
"See, that's perfect. I'll even help you practice."
With Hermione's offer to help Ron prepare for his proposal, the breakfast conversation veered away from the Yule Ball, something he was immensely grateful for. Dancing wasn't one of his skills, and he wasn't looking forward to making a fool of himself in front of the entire school. Then again, this was his first dance, not surprising considering the Dursleys never saw fit to allow him to participate in anything that might give him the impression he was a human. Still, more importantly, his first dance would be with Hermione. If anybody deserved to enjoy themselves at one of these events, it was her, for all the times she had stood by him since their first year at Hogwarts. Maybe he should talk to Andromeda about getting some extra dancing lessons.
Speaking of Andy, she made her way to the Gryffindor table, a smirk on her face.
"Harry, after breakfast, head up to my room. There's someone you need to see."
"What do you have?"
Amelia barked out the question, perhaps more harshly than she had intended, but the last few days were beginning to push her patience to the limits. Granted, it wasn't all bad. The chance to see that smug bastard Lucius squirm was worth the headaches she'd been given thanks to the recent headlines. Even better, it was keeping the greasy git as far from the Ministry as possible, if only to avoid the now-legion of reporters that had taken up residence in the Ministry atrium. Said legion was also responsible for keeping the Minister confined to his office. They were doing such a good job of it, that she was almost tempted to refer to it as a form of illegal detainment.
Almost.
Her entertainment had grown since yesterday, when, after returning from lunch with Andromeda Tonks and ordering a search of all evidence acquired during the 80s, Fudge had somehow made it to her office without being mobbed by reporters. Personally, her money was on using Polyjuice, but she didn't have enough of a reason to investigate. that line of thought. No, what made it amusing was his demand, or 'insistence' as he put it, that she immediately redouble efforts to find Sirius Black, to put an end to the 'ridiculous claims' put forth by the Daily Prophet. She had thoroughly enjoyed the look on his face as she gave him her answer.
'Let me be clear, you, Minister Fudge, want me, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to divert resources into a manhunt for a man whose guilt is now being called into question. Resources that are currently being used to investigate the forced participation of Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament, a Tournament you helped bring back after it was discontinued because of the rising death toll.'
The sight of Fudge becoming even paler, as he realized the veritable fiendfyre-storm that such an action would provoke, had proved quite memorable. As did the Firebolt speed with which he exited the office afterwards.
But putting Fudge through the wringer would have to wait, as now Scrimgeour had returned from his search of the evidence storeroom.
"Not much. We found the wand taken from Sirius, but there's no evidence it was responsible for the deaths of Pettigrew, or the muggles caught in the explosion." Upon reaching Amelia's desk, he placed the wand in front of her, along with a small parchment scroll. "There's also the list of spells last used by it. You might want to read it."
Taking the scroll in hand, Amelia unrolled it, reviewing the spells listed.
"Shielding Charms, Point-Me-Charms, twice, and... Cleaning Charms?" Amelia looked at Scrimgeour, waiting for her question to be answered before she asked.
"I asked Shacklebolt his opinion since he knew Sirius during the War. According to him, Rubeus Hagrid arrived at the Potter's house, but after Sirius did."
Amelia proved herself a competent Auror as the information clicked in her brain. "The Cleaning charm is from when Sirius found Harry. The house was heavily damaged in the aftermath, and baby Harry would have been covered in dust, maybe even some rubble."
"Not something that a follower of... Riddle would have done. Especially if he knew no one had arrived yet."
"So, Sirius arrives at the Potter's house, and finds James and Lily dead, but Harry's still alive, probably still in his crib. He cleans him up, takes him out of the house, and runs into Hagrid?"
"From what Shacklebolt told me, he was sent by Dumbledore to bring any survivors back to Hogwarts, where Madam Pomfrey, a capable Healer he knew and trusted, would care for them. But then, why go after Pettigrew?"
Amelia looked down at the wand on her desk. The wand she knew belonged to her one-time fiance. The man who had run away from home after enduring another of his wretched mother's depraved forms of discipline. The same roguish prankster who dueled Death Eaters with a grin, and swept her off her...
"He was never the Secret Keeper." The words came out of Amelia's mouth so suddenly, so curtly, that Scrimgeour thought he misheard her. "The whole point of a Secret Keeper is to keep them away from danger so they aren't at greater risk of dying. They die, and suddenly you have a dozen Secret Keepers. Or they get caught, and they can be tortured into giving up the Secret."
"But then who was... Pettigrew."
"During our school years, Sirius and his friends were the resident pranksters, including Pettigrew. Whenever they pulled off a big prank, Sirius would cause a scene, creating a distraction, while Peter would set things up in spots that required stealth. He had a knack for remaining unseen and unnoticed. This was them pulling a big prank on the Death Eaters."
"Sirius pretends to be the Secret Keeper, keeping focus on him, and off of Peter. But Peter gets found, or maybe he already switched sides. Halloween comes around, Riddle stages his attack, only to be defeated in the process, and Sirius realizes they were betrayed. He goes to find Peter, but Peter knows he's coming and ambushes him, fakes his death, and disappears all while pining the blame on the only man who knows the truth. Bloody hell."
Amelia shook her head. "There aren't strong enough words to convey how big of a mess this is. Even without the assassination accusations, the Ministry dropped the quaffle big time. With the accusations against Fudge and Malfoy, that quaffle ended up in an Acromantula colony."
"Accusations like this could get the ICW involved."
"Oh Merlin, wouldn't that be just perfect? One more scandal to pile onto this mess."
Scrimgeour offered Amelia a sympathetic smile before continuing. "So, what do we do going forward?"
"For now, just focus on gathering evidence, but keep quiet about it. I've a meeting with someone who claims they saw Peter alive in Hogsmeade, and I don't want Fudge or his friends getting wind of it."
"Think either of them might try something if they get wind of it?"
"God I hope so. I'd take any reason at this point to slap cuffs on the smug bastards."
"So, who's waiting for us?"
Ron and Hermione had tagged along with Harry. Breakfast had ended on a lighter note, with Ron planning out his Yule Ball proposal to Lavender. For now, it all hinged on him getting the Bouquet spell perfect. Then he'd be able to get things set up for the proposal. Something nice to show he's invested in trying, but not something beyond his means, or makes him look desperate. It all made Harry feel rather cheap for asking Hermione on the way to dinner. He'd have to talk to Andy about that, maybe she'd have an idea going forward.
"Someone who's going to help with the Second Task," Harry smirked as he answered. He already knew it was their former Defence professor, Remus. Andy had confirmed as much when she asked him for help acquiring the Occamy eggs needed to brew Wolfsbane potion. He'd jumped at the opportunity to help his pseudo-uncle, happily paying for the full list of ingredients, rather than the one that Andy was after.
Hermione huffed, while Ron rolled his eyes at Harry's answer, following along out of curiosity. Despite living next to it for four years, the Black Lake held many secrets, and it was a rare opportunity to learn about its mysterious inhabitants. For Hermione, it was another chance for academic advancement, while Ron was more interested in the rumours about what lurked beneath.
Arriving at the door to Andy's room, they knocked and briefly waited before the door opened, allowing them entrance. Harry smiled as he saw, seated next to the fireplace, was Moony, reading a paper as though it were the simplest thing.
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione made her surprise known, but it couldn't prevent the joy of seeing who had been the best Defence teacher they'd had. Admittedly, Professor Moody was giving him a run for his money, but it didn't change the fact that Moony had been the first Defence teacher to teach them and do it well. Especially when compared to the stuttering Quirrelmort or the preening Lockhart.
Lowering his paper, Remus looked at his guests with a smile. "Please, Miss Granger, I'm not your professor anymore. Remus or Moony will do."
Astonished at the idea of referring to one of her teachers in such an informal manner caused her brain to temporarily go dark, as she lingered at the entrance to the room. While she gathered her wits, Harry rushed forward to hug his pseudo-uncle, while Ron took a seat. By the time Hermione's brain started back up, Harry had likewise taken a seat. Taking a seat next to Harry, blushing all the while, she looked at her former professor.
"So you're here to help Harry with this insane Tournament?"
Remus took a serious look at her question. "Indeed, Miss Granger. Andy tells me you've already cracked the code, so to speak, concerning the Second Task?"
Harry nodded his head. "The golden egg we retrieved contains a mermaid's voice. We open it out of the water, it shrieks loud enough to shatter glass. Underwater, it sings to us." Reciting the song by memory, he continued. "We figure the Task would be held in the Black Lake, but we're not sure what to expect down there."
Remus slowly nodded his head as Harry finished. "Excellent work Harry. If I could, I'd award points for figuring out the answer so soon. As far as the Lake goes, a handful of creatures down there can pose a risk to the unwary, but nothing especially dangerous. I can think of a few creatures the Ministry might import to add more... spice to the challenge, and we'll be going over them. But the biggest obstacle isn't the creatures, it's the Lake itself. I'm not sure how you'd be able to breathe underwater for an hour."
Master, there are a few potions and spells that you might make use of, though baring that, Gillyweed is always an option.
"I have an idea for that, but I'd need to talk to Neville first."
"Something from Herbology? Why not ask Pomona for help?" Remus asked curiously.
"The Hogwarts Champion, Cedric, is from Hufflepuff. Feels weird to imagine asking his Head of House for help. Besides, Neville knows more about Herbology than most seventh years."
"What about the creatures in the Lake? They already brought bloody dragons for the First Task. Doubt they'll show any more restraint for the Lake." Ron spoke up for the first time since arriving. His voice carried an air of disbelief, remembering the sight of the dragons in the Forbidden Forest.
"While there are plenty of dangerous water-dwelling creatures, the Lake is also home to a colony of merpeople. And while they aren't exactly pushovers, even they would draw the line at having to share the Lake, even for an hour, with anything like a Spectral Shark. More likely they'll simply release larger quantities of creatures already present in the Lake, like kelpies, but we'll be covering all our bases. There is one other thing, Harry."
"Yes?"
"Andromeda probably doesn't want me to bring this up, but if last year is any indication, you have a talent for learning things you're not supposed to know."
Harry smirked at Remus' words but inwardly cringed. He was curious to know if Remus was referring to his lycanthropy, or the various other things he had learned, both about himself, and others, over the past few years.
"I'll be talking with Madam Amelia Bones before the Yule Ball. Do you know who she is?"
"I've heard the name before. She was friends with Mum and part of an inter-house study group?"
Remus nodded. "That's correct, but she's also the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'll give her copies of my memories of our encounter with Pettigrew."
Harry's eyes went wide in shock. "You can't! If the Ministry finds Sirius, they'll give him the Kiss! You have to"
"Harry! Calm down, please. Amy had no idea that Fudge ordered Sirius to be Kissed. From what I know, she wasn't even aware he didn't have a trial until recently, and she's not happy with Fudge for circumventing her, and ignoring you."
Harry blinked as he processed everything he just heard, focusing on a singular point of information. "Amy?"
Remus smirked at Harry. "I'll let Sirius tell you about her. The important thing is that by summer, we'll hopefully be able to give Sirius his long-overdue trial. Andy didn't want to say anything because she wanted you to focus on the Tournament, but we both know you would have found out sooner or later. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't let her know I told you this."
"Marauder's honour, Moony." Harry invoked his father's friends with that promise, bringing a smile to Remus' face.
"And, on that happy note, let's talk about Grindylows."
"Ohhh, this is so exciting!"
The first term had finally ended and now was the time for Winter Break. The final day had few surprises. The Potions test on antidotes had been agonizing, if only because the greasy dungeon bat was being extra thorough in his torture of the students. Or, if we must be generous, he had spent much of the test looming over those who needed the most help with the recipes they were expected to replicate perfectly.
Harry was feeling confident over his performance, thanks in no small part to Gnarl's lectures over the week. Of course, Harry knew better than to wear the amulet during class, taking it off before tests if possible, or otherwise signalling to Gnarl not to offer him advice during the test.
The most interesting part of the day had come at dinner. Having potions as the last class of the day, meant the students could look forward to a hearty meal as a reward for their efforts. That was when Ron had decided to ask Lavender Brown to the Ball.
To his credit, Ron may not be the most academically inclined, but if he was invested in something, he was willing to put his nose to the grindstone. Learning how to conjure a bouquet for a Yule Ball date was something that could motivate him. It didn't take long for him to get the spell, but then the question became the proposal. That was when Gnarl had mentioned one of his father's many, many failed attempts to get a date with Lily.
The proposal was simple, at least in theory. Ron would head down to the kitchens as dinner started. When there, he would conjure a bouquet of purple flowers for Lavender, (not exactly original, but if it works) and the elves would pop him into the Great Hall next to Lavender. Then, he would present her the flowers, and ask her to the Ball.
What happened was he went to the kitchens, and his nerves began to get the better of him. Instead of conjuring a single bouquet for Lavender, he conjured dozens of flowers, including a crown and cloak of flowers for himself. He ended up conjuring so many that by the time the elves popped him into the Great Hall, on top of the Gryffindor table no less, half the table was buried in an avalanche of flowers.
Thus, it was a nervous, flower-covered Ron that asked Lavender to the Ball.
And she accepted, to the shock of many.
Which is somehow connected to Lavender joining the Trio in the carriage to Hogsmeade village the very next day. While Hermione had been quietly smug about the trip, Lavender was bursting with excitement. All the while, Harry felt an impending sense of doom approaching.
"Yeah, it's always fun going to Hogsmeade. Not sure what's so important about this trip though." Ron looked out the window of the carriage, checking their progress to the village.
"Wait, you don't know?" Lavender looked at Ron in confusion. Before Ron could answer her, Hermione spoke up.
"Don't spoil the surprise, Lavender. We girls have been awaiting this day for some time now. Can't let the secret get out yet."
"What are you two up to?" Harry eyed Hermione with suspicion, as she put on a practiced look of innocence.
"Us? Up to something? Perish the thought, Harry. We're simply looking forward to an eventful weekend."
Harry and Ron shared a look, one that conveyed a debate between the two of them on whether they should take their chances and bail. After all, they'd been to the Forbidden Forest before, so it wasn't that dangerous to them. Plus, it was winter, when everything was more likely to be hibernating, rather than actively hunting. Even Aragog had to be dormant, right?
Any such thoughts of escape were put to a stop by their arrival in Hogsmeade, where Andromeda was waiting for them.
"Good, you boarded the first carriages. Let's go, no time like the present."
Pretending the chill crawling up their spines was because of the weather, not the evil giggling coming from the girls, Harry and Ron followed Andromeda as she led them through the village, to Gladrags Wizardwear. Ushered inside by Andy, the group was met with a wizard who couldn't have been more than four, maybe five years, out of Hogwarts.
"Andromeda! Good to see you. I take it these are...?"
"Correct Andre. This is Ronald," Andy placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, "and of course, Harry." Andy placed her other hand on Harry's shoulder. Looks truly are deceiving, as she had a remarkably firm grip on him. Gently pushing them forward, she continued. "They need proper dress robes."
Clapping his hands together, Andre smiled broadly. "Excellent! I did a few designs for Charlie, so I've got a few ideas for Ron here. Follow me, and we'll get started."
With Lavender grabbing Ron's hand, and Hermione grabbing Harry's, the hosta- the unluck- the customers were led into the shop, where Andre had set up a small stand surrounded by mirrors. With Hermione sitting him down, Ron was forced up to the stand-alone. With Andre conjuring a magical tape measure, he began circling Ron as the object did its work.
"Thin, rather lanky frame... have to keep it slim, don't want it looking baggy... hmm, maybe dark green for the base colour?"
"I'm no Slytherin." Ron protested as Andre circled him again.
"And McGonagall isn't a leprechaun, but she still wears plenty of green. Now, what about the lining and the trim?"
"I'll be wearing a silver dress, if that helps." Lavender piped up quickly.
"Silver goes well with plenty of colours, as long as the shade is handled right. Hmm... maybe gold trim..."
For the next 45 minutes, Ron was subjected to the torture technique that was laughingly called 'a fitting.' The first ten minutes comprised Andre and Lavender discussing the various shades of colour that could be used for the robes. Harry's mind was boggled, not only by the sheer scale of knowledge Lavender had, but the fact that there were even that many shades of colour, along with various rules to consider.
Afterwards, the question of the actual design came in, and true to his word, Andre had a few ideas in mind, with physical examples already set aside. Charming them to place themselves on Ron sped up the process, slightly, though it was still impressive how many pieces Andre had. Finally, he settled on a simple, yet elegant design for a shirt, vest, and jacket, with an accompanying cloak to finish the combo.
Now the moment Harry was dreading.
"Ahh, Harry Potter! I never imagined I'd get to design your dress robes! Let's see, we're definitely going to want green as well, perfect for those eyes of yours. Hmm... what do you think Andromeda? Something simple like Ron's?"
"No. That won't be enough. This is as close to a debutante ball as boys get, and this has to be perfect."
"Alright, did you have something in mind?"
"He needs something above and beyond what the other champions will wear. They entered the Tournament willingly, but Harry has been forced to compete. We need to send a message with this outfit."
"Why are my robes so vital to this?" Harry listened to the discussion with confusion plain on his face for all to see.
"Harry, you were forced to compete in a Tournament with a notorious death rate. Whoever did this is watching, and they've seen your performance. They know you not only survived, but you dominated the First Task. Killing a dragon, to save students no less is no easy feat. The perfect score was a nice bonus, but that's not important. What's important is your enemies know you're capable, now it's time to remind them of that. You need to arrive in an outfit that makes a statement. An outfit that declares you are here to stay. An outfit that demands... no, that commands respect from your peers."
That had led to a thirty-minute discussion on the robes, all the while Harry stood there, completely still, and terrified that movement would bring their attention back to him. The sound of the door opening drew their attention, as in strolled none other than Hagrid. Making a split-second decision, Harry knew he needed to warn the first friend he'd ever made.
"Hagrid, run! The women have discovered clothes shopping!"
"Moony?"
Amelia Bones, with Rufus Scrimgeour and Saul Croaker, were sitting in the Three Broomsticks, in a room rented from Madam Rosmerta. The trio had brought with them a pensive, for the express purpose of reviewing the memories of Andromeda's friend. Nothing could have surprised her more than seeing, not only one of James and Sirius's oldest friends but who her niece had referred to as 'the best Defence teacher ever.'
She was so shocked that she had used his Marauder nickname, rather than his given one, though her flub was missed by the others as he began chuckling.
"Not who you were expecting, I take it?"
"I haven't seen you in years. Where have you been?"
"After that Halloween, I went through a rough period. Practically climbed into a bottle and didn't come out for years. Only recently got myself cleaned up enough to earn a Masters in Defence."
Amelia nodded, equally happy for her old friend, and furious for what he had been put through.
"What Severus did was despicable. If I ever get the chance..."
"It's alright Amelia, I've made my peace with it. That's not why we're here though."
"True enough." Despite the hood covering his face, Croaker could be heard quite clearly, though the robotic tone left it difficult to tell who it was. "I'm told you have memories confirming the survival of Peter Pettigrew?" When Remus nodded, he continued. "I'm here to verify them. Let's get started."
It took some time to fully review his memories of that night, from seeing Peter's name on the Marauders Map, up to when they left the Shrieking Shack, and the full moon reared its ugly head. Throughout it all, Croaker remained completely passive, watching for any signs of tampering, yet still attentive to the events unfolding before him. Scrimgeour was more vocal during the review, expressing shock at seeing Pettigrew alive, though praising Harry for getting the drop on Snape, especially with a wand that wasn't his.
'Kid would make a bloody good Auror.'
Amelia, on the other hand, was far less vocal, yet her mood was plain to all. Shock, horror, respect, and the fury of hell itself. By the time they emerged from the memory, Amelia was ready to march into the Ministry and hit Fudge with a thousand of the most painful hexes she could think of.
"That bloody idiot!" The very first words upon their emergence made her opinion clear on the matter.
"It is my professional opinion the memories are true, and not tampered with," Croaker spoke up, though it was clear it was done for the sake of procedure.
"No kidding. First, the dementors nearly kill Harry during a Quidditch game, then the Minister blows off his warnings about a surviving Death Eater." Scrimgeour shook his head as he contemplated the scale of the potential scandal.
"Not him, Dumbledore! The man has a pensieve! Why didn't he just tell Fudge 'Summon an Unspeakable, we can sort this out tonight'?" Amelia snapped her head in her subordinate's direction.
"That would be my fault, Madam Bones," Croaker replied in a robotic tone. "At the time, the DOM needed a second pensieve for a time-based experiment, and I asked him to loan us his. We didn't finish until two weeks after the fact."
"I trust that, at the very least, helps?" Remus interjected before the conversation could be derailed further.
"Oh, it more than helps. With an Unspeakable verifying the memories, I can use them to build a case and prepare a trial. Is Andy certain she wants to wait until after the Tournament?"
"You can discuss that with her. Harry's involvement in the Tournament is drawing her full attention at the moment. I think she wants to keep Harry focused on surviving this insanity first, and she can't do that if the Minister starts trying to throw his weight around."
Rufus snorted at that. "What weight? He's hemorrhaging support from the public thanks to Skeeter's articles."
"But he still maintains strong ties with Malfoy, who effectively leads the Dark faction in Wizengamot," Croaker responded to Rufus's doubts. "Given that they're all, without question, older families with large vaults, that's not an insignificant support base."
"And we still don't know who's behind Harry's entry in the Tournament. Siri's trial may be long overdue, but if we free him now, we risk provoking a response from whoever was sadistic enough to put him through this." Amelia shook her head as she spoke, frustrated by the situation despite her renewed hopes. "Will you be staying close to the castle, Remus?"
"I'll be helping Harry prepare for the Second Task, and I've been provided accommodations in the castle proper."
"Good. Keep an eye out while you're there. If I know Moody, he'll be keeping watch too. Never hurts to be prepared."
Rufus smirked as he remarked, "Don't you mean 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE?'"
Amelia groaned, and Remus chuckled at the reminder of Moody's infamous paranoia. Still, it served him well, keeping him alive when facing the most demented and depraved Dark Wizards in Britain.
"Magnificent, don't you think so, Andromeda?"
Andre was proud of his latest creation, and Andy was smiling broadly. Ron and Lavender looked stunned, while Hermione was utterly speechless. All the while, Gnarl was listening in. He felt pity for his master, having been subjected to every witch's favourite means of torturing men. But even he was pleased with the efforts put forth by the fashion-obsessed wizard.
In the time since Harry had summoned him, Gnarl had learned as much about Harry as he had learned of his family. The boy was a far cry from his father and grandfather. And yet, he had many similarities beyond the superficial. He wasn't as outgoing as James, more reserved like Charlus. He was an intelligent lad, not quite on Lily's level, but the potential was there. He also shared their unwavering commitment to his friends, as few as there were.
He was also remarkably humble. Despite his immense fame and the power he would one day wield, he always wished to remain 'just Harry.' He had done his best to ease him into the certainty that he would never be 'just Harry' but it was a process. Still, progress was being made. He'd be a proper Lord before he finished Hogwarts.
But what truly set him apart was his ignorance of wizarding etiquette, something that no doubt perplexed the pureblood students as much as it perplexed him. After all, these lessons were taught well before the Hogwarts years, if only so they know what to expect from the more snobbish types, like that arrogant brat, Draco.
It was a pity the heirs of Julius Malfoy held the values, and skills, of Brutus Malfoy.
But not all was lost for the Potters. Now that Gnarl was in a position to help, he could finally fulfill his purpose again. He could teach and prepare the next generation of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. And looking through the mirror, seeing through Harry's eyes, he felt a sense of pride as he saw, and felt, Andromeda no doubt did.
Lord Potter had returned.