Verus

12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London

To say that Harry had had a ginormous breakdown would have been the understatement of the century. Kreacher had vanished from his sight as soon as he'd uttered that final understanding, which now seemingly compromised the entire Wizarding World, and had not returned no matter how much Harry had screamed and demanded it.

So, in his haste, his fear and anguish, Harry had apparated straight through the Manor's many layers of ancient wards and back into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, only to tear apart the room he knew to have once belonged to Regulus Black, uncaring of the mess he made as he fought to keep control, struggling against the wolf inside that yapped and yipped and howled. Fuelled only by rage and unceremonious terror.

It was there that his godfather soon found him, sprawled out amongst a hurricane of mess that littered Sirius's little brother's bedroom floor; a knee knocked against an overturned dresser, one of its scattered drawers propping up an elbow.

Harry's wild eyes darted up to find him, now stood in the doorway, only after the young wizard had felt the house shift around him and heard the telltale footsteps that had fumbled their way up the staircase. He supposed must have made quite the picture as Sirius silently stared back at him, face so emotionless. And it was only then that realisation dawned and Harry felt the guilt start to creep in. He quickly diverted his gaze downwards to where he'd discovered a loose floorboard sat beneath a trademark Slytherin green runner, no longer able to look at Sirius.

"You could have splinched yourself, kid. Those wards are pretty thick."

Harry swallowed at the sound of his godfather's steady voice, Sirius acting as though everything was fine, as though it was fairly normal to completely tear apart a room, and a sickly feeling soon encompassed him as he continued to stare down at the floor's contents. Inside there rested a tiny tin full of photos; a darkened quill the length of a typical wand; a Hogwarts letter of acceptance, alongside a set of impressive exam results; and a small black notebook that had almost been inconspicuous in its hiding place pressed up against the far side of the floor beam.

A snitch sat tucked away in one corner though, golden and frozen in flight, and it was that which first caught Harry's eye. Its rotational wings perfectly imitated the bird's it had since replaced in the game of Quidditch and they fluttered slightly when he carefully moved to pick it up.

They were beautiful creations, snitches, one Harry had only ever heard of through Merlin and his stories, seeing as though he hadn't lived with the founders long enough to see its invention. It was his first time baring witness to one, and to hold it within his grasp, so close that he could see every minuscule detail the ball had to offer, calmed something deep within him.

The snitches wings snapped shut soon after, as though either Harry's steady gaze or Sirius's sudden approach had washed away the intricate spell that had kept it in motion all these years. Harry's hand encased it protectively as he turned to glance back over at his godfather, who had somehow managed to crouch down beside him, uncaring for the wreck Harry had created within the room and simply tossing aside a couple of books that had been in his way.

"Think that was the last one he ever caught at Hogwarts." Sirius told him as he nodded down towards the golden ball, voice strangely quiet for a second, before he coughed to clear his throat. "I remember it, it'd been a magnificent match in truth- I'd had to stop playing after my fifth year but," He took a slight breath here and shrugged, "I still loved the game, so I went along to most matches, watched your father play his heart out on the field and sometimes Reggie was there too."

"He was a seeker then?" Harry questioned, feeling the rigid edges of the snitch press against the palm of his hand whilst his godfather merely nodded in response.

"He was good too- for a Slytherin, at least."

Harry's mouth quirked up ever so slightly, hidden from Sirius's view by the angle his head was now tilted at. If only his godfather understood the irony there.

"I've heard of the rivalry, between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Sounds stupid, if you ask me." Harry commented, staring down into the hole he'd uncovered, eyes grazing across the contents once more. "Was that why you two didn't get along then?"

Sirius went silent beside him for long enough that Harry figured the man wasn't going to answer him, until, "No, it wasn't." Harry watched on as his godfather's hand reached downwards to retrieve the tin of photos, surprised to find that notes and other miscellaneous items filled it too. Sirius pulled a ticket stub from within and dragged a thumb over the faded text.

"What's that?" Harry heard himself ask before he could think better of it, but he'd always been inquisitive in nature, unable to hold back and bite his tongue even when he could read the emotions that rampaged a room.

Sirius's throat bobbed, "A memory." He answered, eyes focused solely on the amber coloured stub he held, "From a time I took him to see his first film- muggle it had been, The Godfather to boot."

Harry's very own godfather chuckled at the memory and Harry let him have the moment, even if he didn't understand the humour behind it.

"Probably not the best film to have shown a kid from a family like ours, but Reg... I reckoned he had loved it." With a smile, Sirius tucked the ticket back into the tin and retrieved something else, a photo this time, black and white and with yellowed edges from where it had seemingly been fiddled with so often. "I didn't even know he had this." Sirius breathed out, seemingly caught off guard by the revelation.

Harry angled his neck slightly to better see the image, it was moving as most Wizarding photos tended to, and within the frame were two young boys with the darkest of hair perched on a singular broom. The first seemed to be waving happily down at the camera, obviously pleased at having gained the grounds occupant's attention, whilst the second sat gripping onto the first, rail thin arms wrapped around the other boy's midsection whilst he buried his face into a shoulder-blade he'd been offered. It was obvious as to just who they were, but it startled Harry slightly to see Sirius that young and allowing the affection of his younger brother so openly.

Harry left his godfather to reminisce and reached back into the hole to grab at the black book he'd caught sight of earlier. It was a small thing, no bigger than the size of a standard postcard, but appeared to be pack full of words written in a cursive font that went from scrawled and messy to neat and refined over time. It reminded Harry of the difference between the photo of a much younger Regulus, a boy who'd had to cling onto his older brother in order to find strength, and then to the image he himself had created of an older Regulus, one so ready to die to do what was right.

Looking closer the book appeared to be a diary of sorts, dating back to the year of '69 and ending almost a decade later. Harry tucked the snitch away into a pocket of his robe and allowed his thumb to skim across the many pages it had to offer.

Sat there, he could almost picture Regulus writing in it; the year when Sirius had left for school, a small boy stowed up in his room, away from the prying eyes of his banshee of a mother; at yule when his older brother had finally returned from school, fearful but different, his parents distaste for it all so obvious; then on the train to Hogwarts himself, untucking the little black book from a pocket to scrawl into in hopes it would distract himself from the fact that Sirius had left him alone again; and in the gloominess of the dungeons when his dorm mates had long gone to bed. All the way up until the years where Voldemort's power had apparently grown and festered, willing the sharp- though abandoned- mind of a young man like Regulus to join his ranks, falling for lies and deceit, the hope of a better life.

The diary ends on an early day in summer and Harry knew it was then that Regulus had made his final decision.

(June of the 1979,

The war is still raging, more so now than ever. Both sides are fighting adamantly, though the Dark Lord only grows stronger as days pass. He is dismantling the hierarchy of the Wizarding World piece by piece, murdering and pillaging without caution or care, both children and women are dying and even those born with the purest of blood are now at risk. You join him, or lay down your life.

I am wrecked with both regret and anguish, how foolish have I been to have not seen it all so much clearer before? I only pray that now I can make up for the mistakes I have made, the path I have blackened. If only I die for a worthy cause, something I know my brother would commend me for, then I believe that it will all be worth it. 

If not, at least the Earth will have been rid of yet another tainted soul.

R.A.B.)

Another tainted soul. Harry's eyes caught on the phrase and he pressed a thumb to cover the final word. Oh how young Regulus had been, and so alone it seemed, too.

Harry blinked, took a breath, and was guileful enough to slide the book into his robe alongside the snitch before his godfather could see. Perhaps one day Harry would gift it to Sirius, long after. And maybe then the man would be able to see just how far his little brother had gone to right his wrongs. How much he idolised him.

With another deep breath, and only after having laid a final hand over the notebook's cover, did Harry turn back to face his godfather, taking in the mess he'd made of the room as he did. It was chaos. Pure chaos that had been fuelled by unadulterated fear, an emotion that was still brimming just beneath the surface of his skin even in the quiet.

"I," Harry begun but faltered when Sirius peered up to meet his gaze, the man's stormy grey eyes now swum with emotion. Harry had to look away again. "I'm sorry, about the mess."

Sirius sniffed in an attempt meant to be discreet and glanced around, before he shirked a single shoulder, "Not like I live here. Besides, it'll be Kreacher having to clean it up."

The two of them shared a smile, one of sorrow as well as hesitance. It made Harry realise just how much they'd gotten off on the wrong foot. Sirius wasn't his enemy, but Harry had almost made it out to be that way in his head- a man so familiar with his parents, his life here, even him as a child, that it had made him angry, an emotion he hadn't ever typically felt before when thinking of this life. But now he was in it, fully immersed. And there was no looking back now, no asking to go home. He had chosen this, and so he had to do better. Be better.

"Hey, Sirius? Wanna hear a story?"

—

The summer begun to pass by more and more quickly. Harry had mostly stayed within the confines of Grimmauld Place, pouring over Regulus's diary and the books he'd since gathered in his research. Sometimes he was waylaid into visiting the Black Manor by Arcturus, other times it was Sirius or Remus doing the manipulating, forcing him into the outside world. ("Just a bit of sun! Don't worry, you won't shrivel up or burn if you step out into it, pup!")

But his sole focus had been on finding an answer.

As it turned out, that was a much harder task than he'd ever anticipated. Regulus's diary was somewhat of an aid, the later entries giving details into the inner-workings of Voldemort's circle- even named a few of his Death Eaters, Malfoy among them. But that hadn't been too much of a surprise, not since Harry's godfather had been more than willing to supply him with details of the First War after a few fingers of firewhiskey.

Still, it was a real struggle not to burst into flames each time he thought he'd finally found something, only to have been led down a path with a dead end.

But on a lighter note, Harry hadn't had much time to linger too long on Salazar's letter, nor the lingering thoughts of home. Merlin had yet to return also, so that ebbed some of his current tension too. He felt somewhat guilty for the way he'd reacted during the man's last visit, too quick in his offence, and regretting now having left things the way he had. He had no idea when Merlin would return, if he ever even would. But for now, it was easier not to think about it.

"Prongslet! You coming, or not? I am ageing as we speak!"

"Pads."

At the sound of Sirius's beckoning call and Remus's obvious warning, Harry finally dragged himself out of his bedroom and away from the mountain of notes he'd pulled from everything he'd been reading over the last few weeks. He made his way down a rickety flight of stairs to find his godfather waiting impatiently on the bottom step whilst the the remaining wizard stood, propped up against a wall, wearing an insufferable expression. Harry hid a smirk from the pair.

"Finally!" Sirius huffed obnoxiously when he caught sight of him, jumping up off the stair to watch Harry descend the last portion. He frowned as he looked him over, "Where's your cloak? It might be summer, but it's nearing September, pup. You'll freeze."

Harry snorted and simply shook his head. He was used to being fussed over back at the castle, Helga flattening his hair during breakfast, Sal straightening his robes before class, so it had only been a tiny bit surprising when Sirius had started it up not too long after their shared encounter in Regulus's room after that first dinner at the Manor. Lots had changed since that night, in truth.

"I won't freeze, Sirius. There's barely even a chill." Harry replied, more than content with the loose linen shirt he'd pulled on earlier that same morning, alongside the tighter trousers his godfather had gifted him upon seeing his "less than stellar" wardrobe.

Harry quite liked the few items he'd picked up in Diagon since his arrival, as well as the remnants he'd brought along with him in the trunk he'd packed back home, but the clothes Sirius had purchased for him were more modern, stylish- or so he'd been told- and not all that bad if he was being honest. Harry knew he needed to fit in here, didn't need unnecessary questions surrounding the likes of something so trivial as his clothing, so he'd taken to wearing them when he could.

"Uh, I'm sorry? Are you not the same kid that's been hiding up in their room all morning, how the hell would you even know?" Sirius immediately sniped back, hands placed firmly on his hips as he gave Harry a steady look. Meanwhile, Remus pushed off the nearby wall with a heavy sigh.

"See, I know you struggle to come to terms with most things, Padfoot. But there are these marvellous inventions known as windows, been around for centuries- or so I've heard." Harry answered, so full of sark and biting back a sharp grin.

"Spells too," Remus cut in swiftly before Sirius could pipe back up, though Harry noted the reaction the use of his godfather's nickname had garnered and found himself satisfied by it. "Now, can we please leave before the pair of you come to physical blows?"

Sirius tutted, shooting Harry a conspiratorial grin as he passed by Remus to head into the house's receiving room. "Blows, come on now, Moons. We're not animals!"

Harry couldn't help his snort as he watched Remus roll his eyes once more, though the man appeared amused too even as he made a grab for the floo powder sat atop the mantle.

The couple continued to bicker even as they went up in smoke and flooed away, Remus first then with Sirius following, and were still at even when Harry reappeared behind them. They'd seemingly made it once more to The Leaky Cauldron, all in one piece, the same pub Harry had been dropped off outside of by the Knight Bus- as he now knew- that first day he'd been back. He took the time to glance about the wearing tavern whilst his apparent chaperones carried on with their charade, still managing to lead the three of them out onto the outside patio where Sirius withdrew his wand to reveal the famous Alley entrance.

Sirius grinned as they stepped through, and even after having used the secret gateway a fair few times now, Harry couldn't fault his godfather for the awe that overcame him, it was wondrous. Never grew old.

Different to his first visit, it seemed that this time around there were no elections going on in the centre square, but there was still quite a rather large crowd gathered. Harry put it down to the fact that every other student at Hogwarts must have since received their yearly letter for equipment and such, and were out to gather the necessities they needed too.

Seeing as though it was Harry's final year at Hogwarts and he'd already sat for his O.W.L exams just the week prior, he'd also received his School supply list alongside his actual admittance letter, something both his godfather and Remus seemed to excite over, as well as Arcturus too. The trio more than proud of the results he'd earned- eight Outstanding's and one Exceeds Expectations. The latter having been in Alchemy, which Harry himself hadn't been too pleased with. He knew he could've done much better, but things had seemingly shifted since his time at school.

Oh, well now that was a strange thought to linger on. But he merely shrugged it off, instead opting to focus on the conversation at hand.

"So, you'll be needing the standard items then, I suppose." Remus murmured as his sharp eyes trailed across the parchment they'd received via owl, though Harry was sure that the man had the thing memorised by this point. "And then the textbooks needed for your NEWT classes," He went on to say, though he already knew what electives Harry had chosen and the books needed, seeing as he'd helped with that hinderance not that long ago. "Hm. Where to first then?"

"Cauldron shops closest." Sirius answered with a lazy shrug in the direction of a stack of large metal kettles sat outside a grimy store front. "Guess we could head there- ohwait, pup look! They've got the new Firebolt in stock!"

The jolting change in pace and his godfather's sudden interest had Harry reeling a tad, he spared only a moment to return Remus's exasperated look before the pair of them trailed after the apparent man-child now stood galavanting outside the Quidditch supply store, joined only by a couple of students younger than Harry himself.

Much of their visit continued in the same way, Sirius getting overly excited about Harry's first year away at Hogwarts and then proceeding to drag them this way then that. So it was only after Remus had managed to somehow talk Sirius into grabbing a bite to eat that Harry decided to switch things up.

"Would you two be alright with me wandering off for a while? I was hoping to look around, haven't gotten out much as of late." Now, he knew was playing on the guilt the duo shared about him being cooped up and stuck in old Grimmauld, but even as devious as it very much was, Harry had also found that it was his quickest bet at getting what he wanted without using any extreme measures. For example, confounding the pair of them, or once again bringing up the topic of how he was now practically of age and didn't, in fact, need their permission. Which always seemed to depress Sirius.

"Of course, Harry." Remus said with a slow nod and Harry watched the way Sirius's head snapped towards the Were, before he too relented.

"Oh, yeah... Sure thing, pup."

Harry stood, choosing not to notice his godfather's strained smile or the way Remus now looped an arm around the back of Sirius's chair. "Alright. I reckon it'll be much easier if I meet you back at Grimmauld then, or I can shoot you a patronus if you prefer? Whatever's easier."

Remus's eyebrows climbed upwards at that, far enough for them to hide behind his tawny fridge, "Patronus?"

Harry raised a brow of his own before nodding down at the seated man. "Yeah, why, did you want to set a time limit or something?"

The Were was hasty with his next nod, shaking his head promptly in answer, "No, no. Just, surprised you can conjure one is all. How long did that take you to master?"

With a grim smile, Harry pushed his chair back into place under the table, "A while. But, I mean, once I managed a wisp the corporal form came fairly easy."

Remus blinked up at him, seemingly not having anything else to add on the matter, and Harry, with a frown, turned to glance at his now seemingly pleased godfather. "Um." He let slip when Sirius merely shot him a rather charming grin. A vast contrast to the glumness he'd previously presented.

"Don't worry, pup! Moony will be right as rain soon enough. You hop on now, we'll meet you back at the house later- have dinner, that sound good?"

Harry gave a slow nod, still rather confused by the whole thing, but shrugging it off. Glad that Sirius had lost the sudden sadness of him leaving, even if it did mean that he'd have to spend another dinner sat at the table instead of in the library- he only hoped that they ordered from that nice takeaway place they'd used the last time. It truly was amazing what muggles had managed to achieve since they'd stopped with their brutal witch hunts!

Leaving Fortescue's, Harry felt a tension fall away from him as his feet met the cobbled street. It was nice having people he could talk with and who obviously cared for him, but he still felt as though he couldn't completely let down his guard around the pair. Sirius and Remus were brilliant wizards, as well as wonderful people too, but they were still strangers. Though Harry was hoping that would soon change, they appeared to be growing on him.

Glancing about the Alley, Harry decided to head on down to Carkitt Market. He'd heard about it through Arcturus on one of his many visits with the man and had yet to see it for himself, he figured then was as good as time as any- besides, he was in need of decent school bag, one that could hold a great deal of magic, as well as a few secrets.

The walk over was mostly spent with him sidestepping hordes of patrons gathered around shop windows and stumbling in and out of entryways, he kept to himself, nodding politely at whoever greeted him- witches and wizards could be excruciatingly polite these days- and was all too thankful for the glamour he'd started to throw atop his scar whenever he left the house. He didn't even want to begin to imagine what kind of attention he'd draw if they all knew that their supposed saviour was walking amongst them.

By the time he made it to the iron wrought gate that encased the magical side street, Harry had already zeroed in on the exact shop he was after, Stowe & Packers Magical Bags, and he hastily made his way over to the shabby blue stoop.

Upon entering he could see that the partners had an awful lot to offer, from colour-changing trunks and suitcases to talking purses and satchels. He himself decided to peruse the closer shelves, where a few bags had already caught his eye.

"Ah, a Hogwarts student! Don't see as many of you as we used to."

Harry struggled not to react to the sudden voice which had sounded somewhere behind him and was slow when turning to place it's owner. His eyes scanned the shop floor until they fluttered and paused.

Over by the counter, sat just beneath a spiral staircase, was an older gentleman with stark white hair and eyes to match. He wore a sharp suit, though he'd forgone the usual blazer and instead branded a rather fitted waistcoat in the colour navy. Harry hummed lowly, before he answered.

"I wonder why." He commented politely, not all that up for any sort of conversation. He'd only just managed to get rid of Sirius and Remus, he didn't necessarily want someone else butting their nose in. "Are these dragonhide?" He then asked, pointing towards the leather looking satchels perched on a floating shelf.

The man nodded at him once and looked to be about to jump off the countertop before he disappeared and popped back into existence about a foot away from Harry. The latter huffed a laugh in surprise.

"You don't suppose it's your.. eccentricity that might drive the younger crowd away?" Harry asked him, both amused and bewildered by the man's effortless apparition.

"You might be onto something there." The gent grinned at him, and Harry noted that the strength of it de-aged his entire face. "Now, what one were you after?"

Harry looked away in time to jut his chin out towards the brown one on the far end, it was a deep walnut colour and looked sturdy enough to carry what he would be needing throughout his day to day. "Charmed?"

The man almost looked offended by the question before his lip quirked up and he leaned over to grab at the bag. "Of course, there's the obvious extension charm, can fit Hogwarts itself inside if you so pleased. Then there's the self-cleaning and mending, has a good few warding charms on it too, no one you don't want near will be getting their grubby fingers close to it let alone inside. I also installed this clever little trick, like an Accio of sorts, only it'll bring anything you ask to the bag's surface. Those expanding spells can be awful finicky when they choose."

Harry smiled in turn at the man's tutting, eyes grazing the length of the bag. "How much?" He wondered and only looked back up once he felt those pale eyes lock onto him once more. They were so intense in their colourless nature. The whiteness contrasted against the pupils so evidently that it made them seem so impossibly black. Like the longer you stared into them the higher the risk that they'd swallow you whole.

"For you, Mr Potter, take it as a gift."

Harry startled. "How did you know?" He immediately pestered, figuring that there was no use in lying or trying to defer, this man obviously knew it was him even with the strong glamour in place.

The man merely smiled in retort, pressing the satchel into Harry's arms. "I've know for a short time now that you would soon be stopping in," He revealed, and it was then that his face scrunched up slightly in thought, "Though I could never quite make out which bag of ours you'd take to. Still, this one suits you rather well, I think."

Baffled, Harry could only fight to keep his mask in place, analysing the shop keeper much closer now, he wondered only briefly if it was a trap or something other. "You obtain the sight?"

It was less of a question and more a statement, and the man gifted him an answering grin so wide Harry could have only been right. "So quick. So very quick!" He commended, tucking his hands behind his back as his eyes grazed across the length of him once more, "You'll return, won't you, Mr Potter? I have a feeling we'll soon be meeting again."

Harry let go of an amused sigh, "Suppose you'd know better than me."

He was met again by another smile and, even with the oddity of it all, Harry found himself returning the sentiment. Then just as suddenly as he'd appeared, the man vanished once more, leaving the shop void of any sign of life other than him.

It was with a furrowed brow that Harry took his leave, clutching the bag to his chest. He gave it a once over after he was back on familiar ground and then decided to have a closer look at it once he was back at the house. It never hurt to be careful. Besides, he had other matters to be getting to.

Carkitt Market was full of a few other shops fairly similar to those in Diagon Alley, Harry only briefly stopped into Museum of Muggle Curiosities and the local Blacksmith's just to see what they might have entailed before he'd headed back out towards the Magical Menagerie.

He needed to pick up a few things for Helios, seeing as though his familiar had managed to make herself at home within the attic of Grimmauld during their stay, she'd actually made herself so scarce as of late that only Remus had managed to catch short glimpses of her whenever she traversed back out of her nest for food. Harry was certain that it was all due to her not being too happy with his current state of emotions. Though, to be fair, they'd been in utter turmoil as of late. So he only hoped that a few thoughtful gifts from him would win her back over, or at least gain her company during the later nights again.

It was just as he'd passed by the columns of Gringotts that he caught sight of a familiar figure stood a small foot away from the entrance to Knockturn, Harry found himself grinning at the sudden turn of events and was making his way over before he could even second guess it.

"What a surprise to find you here." Harry commented once he was close enough and smirked when the teen in question's head snapped up to meet him.

Theodore Nott was quite like Harry remembered, still as tall and as sharp-edged as ever, though the careful glare from their last encounter was replaced now by an expression of apparent surprise that was covered up in a mere matter of seconds. Harry swallowed his rising amusement.

Theodore kicked off the wall he'd been idly leaning against with a certain degree of elegance and snapped the book, he'd clearly been invested in, shut with a single hand whilst his eyes surveyed Harry in his entirety.

"The boy with no name, why it is an honour." He mocked Harry, gaze giving nothing away even as he smirked. "I figured our next encounter would be at Hogwarts. Though there's been much talk about you."

Harry raised a single brow, giving off an air of nonchalance even as he stepped closer to the other boy, glancing down at the novel he'd just been reading. The cover was glamoured. "I'm full of surprises," He replied with a careless shrug, "Though I have heard that I've gained quite the popularity amongst a particular crowd- the last rumour claimed I was the bastard son to the deceased Rossier Heir, didn't it?"

Theodore snorted, obviously having heard the likes of it too, "Oh yeah, but my favourite is definitely the one that's got everyone wondering whether you're half Veela- apparently you can be quite the seductress when needed."

At the thought, Harry wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Does the gossip never cease with you lot?" He sighed before he let his shoulder press up against the brick wall Theodore had previously occupied.

The young heir mimicked the movement and Harry was surprised by the sudden Muffliato that drew up around them. He hummed as he took in the slight shimmer of the cast, it was powerful for a wordless enchantment but Harry knew it wouldn't hold for very long.

Theodore had seemed to cross his arms over his chest by the time Harry glanced back at him, the boy's eyes deadened as they settled on his face. The intensity of the stare might've set alarm bells off in anyone else but Harry found a certain thrill in it, he loved a good challenge and the young Nott Heir seemed different to the wizards he'd since met here, who all wore their emotions so brazenly on their faces- Arcuturus perhaps being the only exception there, but even then the older Lord wasn't as stoic as Theodore seemed.

"You never did give me your name, you know. That's rather impolite in current Wizarding culture."

Harry huffed an amused laugh out through his nose, "Ah, but neither did you. If I recall it was your father's sudden appearance that garnered that. So it seems we're both incredibly impolite, Nott."

Theodore's cutting eyes narrowed even further, "Seems so. I do prefer Theo though, amongst common company."

The smile Harry gifted him then had the boy's eyes shifting down towards it on instinct. "Reckon you'll be seeing an awful lot of me then, do you, Theo?"

Working his jaw, the other wizard soon returned the gesture, only slightly though, enough to curve one edge of his mouth. "I do. I have a thing for solving complexities, you see."

At the barking sound of Harry's abrupt laugh, Theo's smile widened a tad, apparently pleased with the reaction he'd caused. "Is that so?"

Theo hummed, "Awfully time consuming, too. I suppose we'll be seeing much of each other."

"At Hogwarts?" Harry quipped back.

"The boy with no name talking to the likes of me? You might be condemned before you even have a chance to settle in." Theodore answered and Harry noted the way his typically cold eyes hardened further, even with that smile still in place.

He was teasing, this Harry knew, but he'd also never been too fond of following the herd. The wolf inside much preferred the hunt, and in this sense Harry would be hunting for his own answers on the mystery that was Theo, forming an opinion all on his own.

"Well, as I said before, I'm full of surprises." And with that, Harry stepped away from the wall and the shield around them dropped, "I'll see you on the train then, save me a seat?"

Theo watched on as he restarted his route over to the Menagerie, and Harry only just managed to catch the slight nod the boy gave him out of the corner of his eye before he was swept up in the current.