Chapter 62 - Preparation
After our trip to Diagon Alley, almost a whole month remained before Hogwarts would begin. For Harry and Dudley, it felt like waiting for Christmas while staring directly at the presents every day.
However, for me it was the perfect amount of time to beat them into shape. Because there was absolutely no way I was letting my brothers walk into Hogwarts completely unprepared and embarrass me in front of the school.
Especially Harry.
In the Canon, Harry's academic performance in the first few years had not exactly been inspiring. He was clever when needed, but he relied far too much on luck, danger, and Hermione Granger dragging him through homework like an exhausted mother duck.
And his 'First friend' and 'best mate' being Ron made him skip and ignore the academics almost entirely.
But, that would not be happening this time.
So I started home-schooling both Harry and Dudley. Not heavily, as they were still children, and summer was supposed to remain enjoyable. But every morning after breakfast, I gathered them in the dining room with books, parchment, and notes.
We mostly focused on three subjects.
Transfiguration.
Charms.
And most importantly, Potions.
Potions also helped with Herbology because understanding magical plants and ingredients made brewing easier. So I taught them the basics of both together.
And Harry surprisingly enjoyed Potions, more than I expected. Dudley liked anything that involved cutting, crushing or setting things on fire which was slightly worrying.
I mainly focused on preparing Harry for Professor Snape because if history repeated itself, Snape would immediately target Harry the moment he stepped into the dungeon classroom.
It is debatable that Snape's intention for asking those three questions were more about hum expressing his regret in cryptic and typical Snape's style. Or it can also be him checking if Harry has a similar talent for Potions as Lily had. It can be other things too, but according to my instinct, I am almost hundred percent sure that Snape will ask Harry those questions
And if Harry answered correctly, followed instructions properly and showed talent in Potions, then maybe things would go differently this time.
Or at least less horribly, as Snape was already impressed by me in classes so he would not make things too difficult for them.
"Repeat it again," I told Harry one afternoon.
Harry sighed dramatically but obeyed. "Powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood makes a sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death."
"Good," I nodded. "And bezoars?"
"A stone taken from the stomach of a goat. It saves people from most poisons."
"Difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Harry smirked slightly now. "They're the same plant."
Dudley looked between us with narrowed eyes. "Why do wizards name one plant two different things?"
"Because wizards enjoy making life difficult," I answered jokingly.
That answer satisfied him completely.
The two of them learned surprisingly fast. Partly because both were naturally bright, and partly because they had grown up around me. They already knew discipline, study habits and how to pay attention properly.
And Harry had one thing canon Harry never truly had during childhood.
A partner his own age.
Dudley pushed him, challenged him and competed with him constantly. So both boys treated learning like a competition.
They even practiced introducing themselves politely, how to behave around professors and how not to stare like idiots at moving staircases or floating ghosts.
"Rule number one," I said seriously one evening.
Harry and Dudley sat upright immediately.
"Do not act like country tourists seeing London for the first time."
Both nodded seriously.
"Rule number two. Do not touch random magical objects."
"Rule number three," I continued, "if Fred and George Weasley tell you something is completely safe, it is probably, no, it is surely illegal."
Harry wrote that down immediately.
Good boy.
I did allow them to hold their wands properly and practice movements carefully. But I did not let them actually cast proper spells at home.
Not because they could not but because underage magic restrictions were incredibly annoying.
Since I was present, any magic performed near Privet Drive would likely be blamed on me through the Trace.
Which was deeply unfair considering three out of the five people in the house were magical now.
I grumbled about it often.
"It's ridiculous," I muttered while writing notes one evening. "Half this house can use magic, yet we still can't clean dishes magically."
Dad immediately pointed toward the sink. "You may continue cleaning them manually."
Traitor.
Still, the restriction remained a problem.
Maybe Sirius or Madam Tonks knew a solution. Or perhaps there were legal loopholes involving magical households. If not, then I would simply have Harry and Dudley practice elsewhere sometimes.
Sirius's house perhaps.
Or the Tonks family home.
Thinking about that reminded me of another thing.
I had already written a letter to Andromeda Tonks and Nymphadora Tonks.
Dora had nearly exploded from excitement after hearing Harry would finally attend Hogwarts soon. She had wanted to meet him for years already.
But Sirius and Andromeda had both agreed long ago that Harry should remain mostly disconnected from the magical world publicly until Hogwarts started.
Especially regarding Sirius.
The fact that Sirius Black had already reunited with Harry had to remain absolutely secret for as long as possible.
Because if the public knew Sirius cared deeply about Harry Potter and was openly meeting him, then certain people might start watching Harry more closely.
And worse.
It might alert Voldemort's sympathisers eventually.
Even Harry only fully understood parts of it.
"Why can't people know that we know Sirius ?" he asked once quietly.
I looked at him carefully before answering.
"Because sometimes truth is more dangerous than lies," I said. "And because some people benefit from the lie remaining alive."
Harry frowned but nodded slowly.
He understood more than most children his age. Sometimes too much.
The summer passed peacefully after that.
Lessons in the morning. Reading during afternoons. And evenings spent together with our increasingly chaotic collection of animals.
Brigid completely dominated poor Tom now. The half-Kneazle followed her everywhere like an underpaid assistant. Hedwig and Drein meanwhile had become inseparable and spent hours perched together near the windows or they would be flying together in the open skies.
Mum complained constantly about feathers. Dad complained constantly about magical fur.
Yet neither truly meant it anymore. They were still a little uncomfortable regarding the magic world but they have long accepted the new reality.
As August slowly passed toward September, I was actually looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. After all, Hogwarts is going to be much more interesting.
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End of Chapter 62 - Preparation