We're here for you, always and forever
Waving goodbye to his friends as the train pulled out of the station, Harry was filled with a sense of longing.
That should be him. He should be with his friends being nostalgic over the past year, making plans for the summer holidays and doing his homework to get it over and done with. He knew that he would miss his friends as he always did. He could still feel the lingering warmth of the hugs they gave him. The more time that he spent with them, the harder it was to be apart from them.
He didn't mind too much though. This year, for the first time since he started Hogwarts, he would be surrounded by family during his summer. His real family, not the Dursleys. Honestly, everything seemed too good to be true. He had a father who genuinely cared for him and godparents who wanted to be a part of his life. Not to mention that him, Hermione and Ron had gotten a lot closer since that night in the shrieking shack. It wasn't a distinctive change, of course. It was more the fact that they had shown how much they cared for Harry and in turn, he realised how much he loved them. They were like the brother and sister that he always wanted when he was younger.
Trudging back up the path to the castle, Harry focused on his surroundings. He was going to be spending half of his summer at school. It was most kids nightmares but Harry couldn't be more delighted. He had always thought of Hogwarts as the home that he always lacked. It was the place that he could go to to escape the scathing remarks and the distinct lack of food. The place was oozing in warmth and love that Harry yearned for.
He knew that his summer would be great. He had it all planned out. He was going to spend the first few days completing his homework. In the mornings, he would then get a head start on the fourth year content in the library. He wasn't almost put in Ravenclaw for nothing- he liked to learn, it just wasn't always his priority. He also wanted to look up some other things that had intrigued him over the years. He never really got the chance to read outside of classes and homework. During his summers, his school stuff was either locked up or he was given enough chores that he didn't get a chance to. (The few times that he had tried to do it in the darkness of his room, he had been exhausted the next day so he mainly prioritised his homework.) When he was at school, he stuck to doing what his friends were doing. Some might think that being Hermione's friend would mean that they were constantly in the library but that wasn't the case at all. Hermione was very independent and appreciated being able to focus, however, Ron didn't like to study and preferred discussing more entertaining topics, such as quidditch. Obviously, the two personalities didn't bode well so they kept the joint studying to a minimum. After years of having to act a certain way to please others, he found himself doing it with his closest friends. It was unavoidable really. Hermione enjoyed being the top of the class because she strived to do the best that she possibly could. Ron had five older brothers so he didn't really care what mark he got because he didn't feel like he could do better than them so he didn't bother. Well, that and he didn't like studying. This lead to Harry settling at an average level. He didn't study more than necessary but he still stayed at an acceptable standard. Did it even matter? He lived for twelve years of his life with no one caring what he got. Teachers brushed him off as a troubled kid who wasn't the brightest. The Dursleys decided that, as long as he didn't do better than Dudley, it wouldn't matter because 'the freak' wouldn't go far in life anyway.
It mattered now though. Now, he had at least three people who would probably care about his effort level. Excitement swirled inside of him like cyclone when he realised that he might finally have someone to be proud of him.
Aside from his thoughts, the walk back to Gryffindor Tower was rather uneventful. The only exception was the random items strewn about in the trees and bushes. He quickly realised that they must belong to a student who had left them behind and decided to collect them. He planned to give the student back their belongings and decided to check them for a name. On the tag of a pink duffel coat, the words 'Luna Lovegood' were inscribed. The name was unfamiliar but it would help him to return them. The blue and silver scarf helped even more and he made a mental note to speak with Professor Flitwick about the issue.
The castle hallways were eerie and empty. There was no one in sight as all of the professors were hunkering down in their offices to get their work done as soon as possible so that they too could have a relaxing holiday. Harry felt sympathy for them; it couldn't be easy to look after hundreds of kids, nearly all day, everyday.
Once he arrived at his destination, he made his way into his dorm to drag his belongings to Minnie's dorm. His godmother was curled up by the window with a book, looking strangely peaceful compared to her normally stressed self. In all fairness though, she was the Deputy Headmistress, the Head of Gryffindor House and the transfiguration professor. Minnie had every right to have some time to herself.
She was reading a book that Harry vaguely recognised as a muggle book. Sometimes, when he was kicked out of the house, he took the small trek to the town library. He loved scouring the shelves for books that interested him. To be honest though, he wasn't a picky reader. As he came from a household that actively discouraged imagination, he was eager to take what he could get. For that reason, fantasy books were probably Harry's favourite. He had always wished that he could be a part of the characters' world but knew that it was unbelievable. Eventually, when he made the connection that he might have magical abilities, he firmly squashed the idea and the hope. It was too good to be true. The memory of his childhood escape left Harry feeling nostalgic- he should really buy himself a book or two as soon as he next gets the chance to visit his vault.
Minnie looked up once she noticed him and gently lowered her book. "I trust that you remember which room is yours?" At Harry's nod, she continued with a smile, "feel free to unpack and organise the room how you would like. You'll be there for a while so you might as well be comfortable. What do you plan on doing with the rest of the day, Lad?"
"Well, after I've unpacked, I was going to start up on my homework. I figured that I might as well get it all done with now so that I can spend as much time with Sir-...my dad, as possible."
The warm smile that he was rewarded with made him feel a little bit better at the daunting prospect of having to do homework for numerous classes. "Have fun," she said wryly and was rewarded with an audible groan of annoyance.
Making his way into his new home for the next few weeks, Harry let out a puff of air. The room was fairly plain yet infinitely more comforting than any room at the Dursleys. For the next half an hour, Harry got to work, tucking his clothes away in the dresser and neatly arranging his books on the bookshelf. Overall, it looked perfect.
He knew that there were still a few hours until lunch so he spent his time writing his DADA essay on the magical creature of his choice. After everything that his godfather seemed to be struggling with, he chose werewolves. He mostly wrote about what he knew and decided to add more the next time that he went to the library. His section on discrimination against them was extremely passionate. He even added in a few paragraphs detailing a plan to try to eradicate lycanthropy prejudice through the next decade- something that he fully intended to act upon.
When Minnie called him for lunch, he eagerly took a break. Falling into step with her, Harry asked her about her book and she admitted that muggle books written by females about females were her favourite thing to read due to the sheer amount of sexism that she had experienced in both the muggle and magical world. Professor Dumbledore overworking her while he did whatever he pleased was a clear example of this. The current book that she was reading was about a female who moved on from her life of pain and misery at the hands of people who thought that they were better than her to do something meaningful with her life. In secret, she taught the kids in her village so that they could escape their life. It was there that she met the love of her life, who was a girl a few years younger than her. The young girl also lacked an education and came to the main character for help to learn to read and write. Minnie spoke passionately about the book and it made Harry smile to see his godmother so happy.
Lunch was a surprisingly pleasant, if not a little awkward, affair. He sat at the head table with the rest of the staff, which was more than a little strange. Minnie was engaged in a discussion with Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch while Harry spoke with Professor Flitwick about the charm teacher's childhood. The man had many stories to share while they ate. Eventually, the two parted ways, with the professor cheerfully telling him that he was free to visit.
Reluctantly, he went back to his assignments and was satisfied when he had finished another three. For his potions homework, he had to write about ten antidotes, including where he would find the ingredients for one, how he would brew the potion to the exact detail, and what situation you would use that antidote for. Truthfully, Harry thought that making them write about ten was slightly overkill because they had barely studied antidotes. Why would you make your students write an essay about things that they hadn't even learned yet? Admittedly, it was interesting to learn about them and it was definitely useful. Harry did have to go to the library to research it though. While he was in the library, he finished his DADA essay and completed his History of Magic and Divination essay. For History of Magic, he had to talk about a Giant War of his choosing. As they only ever learnt about the Giant Wars or the Goblin Wars, Harry resolved to read about what he should have actually been taught. After all, maybe he would need to take History of Magic at O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. level for his future career. For Divination, he had to look up famous seers and unusual prophecies that had been completed. That one was also fascinating: who knew that someone once predicted that his entire class would end up blue and for it to actually come true?. Robert Maynard and his prediction when he was two years old about his parent's deaths was a little bit disconcerting though.
During dinner, he talked about plans for the summer with Madam Pomfrey, Minnie, Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch. Harry explained his intentions to finish his homework so that he could spend more time with his family, his new interest in exploring new things in the library's books and his hope to get to know his new family better. He also briefly mentioned that he was looking forward to communicating with his friends now that he didn't have to keep Hedwig locked up in a cage all summer, which got him more than a few mixed looks sent his way. Madam Pomfrey and Minnie vocalised about how they were mainly going to be getting ready for the upcoming term but were going to spend some time at their shared cottage in Hogsmeade. It sounded so simple but the two were obviously looking forward to the idea. Madam Hooch told them that she planned to visit her niblings over the summer, as well as to visit the Quidditch World Cup. She seemed determined to drag Minnie to it as well. Despite how much Minnie clearly wanted to go, she insisted that she had way too much to do to be able to go. Professor Sprout talked about how she wasn't leaving Hogwarts because she had to look after her plants but she did quietly confess that she had a date with a sweet woman who ran the plant nursery in Hogsmeade. Apparently, the woman was explaining to a rather rude client about how to care for a plant that he was buying and Professor Sprout had stepped in to back her up. Eventually, other staff members joined the conversation until Filch and Professor Snape were the only ones who hadn't participated.
"What about you Mr. Filch and Professor Snape? Do you have any interesting plans?" he asked as politely as he could to the two members of staff who seemed to hate him the most, which was actually rather polite. He knew what it was like to be excluded and he hated the feeling so he refused to do it to anyone else, assholes or not.
The two looked rather surprised to be included but quickly got over it. "I will be spending my well-deserved holiday with Mrs Norris and my daughters Sophie and Abigail. I don't get to see them during the school year so I always make sure that I get to see them as much as I can," Filch muttered, slightly hostile.
"Oh, that sounds nice. I didn't know that you had children, Mr Filch. What are they like?" he asked curiously. He never would have guessed that the student-hating man had children of his own. For the next five minutes, Harry learnt all about Filch's family. Apparently, he was married to a muggle-born called Ava Harper. Their children, Sophie and Abby, were named after their mother because of Filch's squib status. They were worried that the child of a squib and a muggle-born would be discriminated against. Sophie was only five years old but Abigail was thirteen. Abigail didn't go to Hogwarts though because she was a squib, which had broken her heart because she had wanted to learn magic. Both her and Sophie attended muggle schools in Wales. Apparently, Sophie had shown signs of magic though so she might be going to Hogwarts if she was old enough. Harry had a feeling that Filch wouldn't let her come to Hogwarts due to all the danger and bigotry.
At Harry's expectant look, Professor Snape remarked, "I am going to attempt to develop my new potion, though I very much doubt that will happen. I have to show up to Black's trial after all and give my statements."
"The trial won't take too long though, right? I'm sure that you will still have many weeks to make some progress," Harry tried optimistically.
The man gave him a deadpan stare, "unfortunately, I have been told that my presence is requested by Black and Lupin at your new place of residence after he is acquitted. We still have much to discuss. As much as I would prefer that I don't see the mutts during my summer, I would very much like answers."
"Oh...I'm sorry if this is insensitive, professor but Sir-...my dad spoke about how you knew my mother. I was wondering if you could tell me something about her at some point as people only really talk about my father- James." At Snape's look of agitation, he continued, "it's fine if not though. I probably wouldn't want to talk about my friends if they'd died." He still would though, especially if they had kids. They deserved to be remembered.
"I guess I could find some time to, if you manage to find some time to actually complete your homework," the potions professor said with a pointed look. "We can't have you only being influenced by the three idiots."
Harry smile in gratitude before the first part of the man's sentence caught up with him. "Hey! I've already finished my potions homework and my defence, divination and history homework," he huffed.
The many shocked looks he received made him pout. He wasn't that bad! He did most of his homework.
"Is that so, Potter? Well then, I expect it on my desk after dinner. I won't be sharing a single story until the work is up to my standard," the man smirked slightly as Harry gaped at him.
"If you happen to finish my homework soon, Mr Potter, I would also like for you to give it to me so that I can mark it." Flitwick was followed by multiple agreements from other professors. Seriously, Harry felt ganged up on! At least this way, he would know that his grade was worth the effort that he put into it.
"On another note, am I allowed to take books out of the library during my time at Hogwarts this summer, Madam Pince? I've taken to writing down all of the things that I want to look up recently and I want to use my free time to research them now that I have free time during my summer." He also shot her a thankful smile at her sharp nod.
"So, Mr Potter, what do you normally do during your summers?" Professor Sinistra wondered.
"Oh...Nothing much. I usually just helped my relatives around the house and did my homework whenever I could. During my summer after first year, Ron, Fred and George came to get me after I wasn't answering his letters and I spent the rest of the summer with him and his family. That was a fun summer. We got to play quidditch and other games together. Last summer, I left towards the end of my summer to go to Diagon Alley and spent the rest of my time there. I mainly looked over my school books and spent time with Hedwig."
"Why weren't you answering Ron's letters, Harry?" Hagrid questioned with confusion.
"My relatives locked Hedwig up in her cage so she couldn't get out to send letters. Plus, a house elf was stealing my letters so I thought that he didn't want to be friends with me anymore because he never sent the letters that he promised."
"A house elf stole your letters, Harry?"
"Yeah. Dobby, who used to serve the Malfoy's, stole my letters to keep me from coming back to school. He told my that I was in danger and couldn't come back because something evil was going to go down at Hogwarts. Dobby's nice but it was irritating with how much he tried to intervene," Harry shrugged.
"What else did the house elf do?" Professor Vector inquired.
"Well, first he used magic to drop the pudding on the Dursley's, my relative's, guests. They were trying to get a big business contract or something so they were furious. Up until that point, they didn't know that I couldn't do magic outside of school so they were leaving me alone for the most part. I ignore them, they ignore me- that kind of thing. Dobby's magic had alerted the ministry though and I got a warning that if I did it again, I'd be kicked out. They locked me in my room and put bars on my window. I was basically stuck there either way because I'd either miss the train or I'd be expelled. Then, when Ron and I were trying to pass through the barrier to platform 9 and 3/4 and he'd blocked it. During my match against Slytherin at the start of the year, he bewitched a bludger to go after me. As I said, he had good intentions and was just trying to protect me. That doesn't mean that he didn't get me in a lot of trouble though." As Harry finished what he was saying, he continued eating his food, waiting for someone else to speak. When no one did, he looked up, only to be greeted by slack-jawed faces. "What?" Uncomfortable with the stares, he self-consciously wiped his face.
"I...I don't even know how to begin processing that. I knew Petunia was a bitch but..." The Potions Master shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "Did it never occur to you to report your house elf problem?"
"Why would I tell anyone?"
The groans in response perfectly expressed their exasperation. It led to a long topic and lecture of what to do in these kinds of situations. By the time it finished, multiple hours had passed. It made him wonder: surely they had better things to do.
"I trust that you understand what to do in future, Harry?" Minnie prompted with a pointed glance.
"In my defence, I've been attacked by two teachers here. Pardon me, if I don't leap at the chance to tell you anything abnormal. Plus, I only learnt about the wizarding world the summer before my first year. How am I supposed to know what is strange and what is normal?"
The sighs that followed his question didn't promise anything good.