The Lost

Passing the Time

"I learn really fast?"

Harry realized that was the worst excuse he had ever come up with in his entire life. The look of absolute disbelief on the usually stoic Potions Master's face only emphasized the poorness of it. He flicked his hand, sending a black flaming phoenix bursting from his wrist and vanishing in a shock of flames. They waited a few moments before there was a thud from Snape's office and James tumbled through the door.

"It's always your damn floo, Sev. I swear you do it on purpose." He grumbled, rubbing his head. "What's up, Harry?"

"Well I just slipped up majorly and you know Professor Snape better than I do." Harry told him brightly.

"Stupidly advanced magic and dark arts?" He asked and Harry nodded sheepishly.

"Sev here is trustworthy." James responded, grinning when both Severus and Harry choked at the butchery of the name.

"If I ever hear that Merlin awful version of my name again, I will slip you a potion that will permanently alter your anatomy." Severus growled. James held up his hands, grinning as he stepped in back behind Harry.

"Gee thanks, dad. Hide behind me while he curses you to Avalon." Harry huffed, sticking his nose in the air.

"If you hurried up and began explaining your interesting childhood he would forget all about cursing little old me." James said and Harry laughed, folding himself on to his stool to begin his explanation. As he had done so with Sirius and Remus, he did not mention the fact that it had been he who had survived the killing curse leaving his dad to be the only one who knew.

"As impossible as it seems, it does explain your unnatural training, your preexisting knowledge of the wizarding world and how you seem to move around this castle with ease not even Dumbledore has." Snape mused, "It does not, however, explain your extraordinary amount of magic."

"How do you know that?"

"It practically rolls of off you."

"I don't know, but I don't like to brag," Harry began, only for James to flick his ear.

"So modest,"

"Salazar always taught me that if you are superior to, or better at something than someone else, it is not your responsibility to hide it but their responsibility to accept it." Harry said with a shrug.

"That explains so much." James said with a grin.

Before he knew it, Harry had been in Hogwarts for over two months in his own time and he couldn't believe how well he had adapted. He had grown so close to his dad Sirius and Remus, when the visited his dad's chambers that he couldn't imagine life without them, even more so than the Founders and he finally understood fully why Rowena had made him promise not to search for their portraits.

James, Sirius and Remus, should the fates decided it, had many many years left on this earth, possibly over a century, and Harry had the same, and he would have that time with them to live and to grow and to love them. And he had been given that chance because he had put in the effort to reform the lost but never forgotten bonds. If Rowena hadn't have made him promise not to go searching for their portraits, he would have spent every spare moment he had scouring the castle to look for them, wanting to speak with them as soon as possible.

Yes, he often wished fiercely that they were there with him, but then he would realize that he could go and see Sirius and Remus or even his father and the need would die down a bit.

Theo and Draco had rapidly become his best friends; the three were inseparable. Harry hadn't interacted much with the students at Hogwarts being comfortable in his small group. Unfortunately for majority of the teaching staff, the three Snakes had become the Slytherin House's version of the Weasley twins; they were always getting up to some kind of mischief. Not that the teachers knew it was them, they hadn't been caught yet, and they liked to brag about that fact — very quietly.

Harry had also become quite close to the stoic Potions Master, granting him access to anything potions related, he had come to understand that Snape had a very dark sense of humour, and a sarcastic streak that could cut steel. He had, quite successfully, avoided anything to do with his sisters training. It wasn't perfect, but overall Harry was loving his time.

When he walked in to the common room one morning in late October, he caught sight of the notice announcing flying lessons and immediately turned around and bolted back up to the dorms. He snapped back Draco's and Theo's curtains and dropped a conjured water pail on their beds, who was not expecting the sudden attack tumbled on to the floor.

"Why?" They demanded at the same time, both glaring up at Harry, who had fallen about giggling.

"Sorry" He gasped, "I wanted to tell you about flying lessons."

"So you decided to throw water on us at this unmagical hour."

"It's like 7am!" Harry exclaimed.

"What?" Draco yelped, leaping up. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I did. You said you were getting up." Harry defended, rolling his eyes as the Malfoy Heir rushed about to get ready. Seeing as none of the other boys were getting up, and Harry fully blamed the fact that they had Astronomy last night, he waved his wand and dumped cold water on all the rest of them. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to stay in the room after he did that, slipping out of the door before he could be blamed. The filthy looks he received when they finally got down to the common room told him they knew exactly who woke them and he grinned.

"Morning."

"I hate you, Harry" Theo told him.

"Cheer up, we have flying lessons today."

"With the Gryffindors," Blaise added, reading the notice. Harry's expression went rather feral, and the group of Slytherins shared a smirk

"What have you got planned?" Draco asked and Harry chuckled.

"It would be such a shame if the wondrous Girl-Who-Lived were to be shown up during our flying lessons." Harry mused slyly, "Especially when my father is present."

"Oh most definitely a shame," Draco agreed. They left, eager to start the day so they could get to their flying lesson, and by lunch time Harry was looking strikingly evil for an eleven year old. Sirius took one look at his Godson and walked in the opposite direction. Harry and Draco pointed out the brooms acceptable for the Snakes out of the terrible choices they were given and Harry made a note to have them replaced; these were not Hogwarts standard. The Gryffindors arrived when James did, they were crowding around Evangeline, who was soaking up all the attention as she bragged about the flying she did when growing up. Harry shared a look with Draco, snickering when the blond mimed vomiting.

"Afternoon class I am James Potter I will be your flying instructor for today madame Hooch asked me to fill in for today," James greeted the students, "Let's get right to it. Stick your hand over your broom and say 'up'."

Harry, like Draco and Theo and unfortunately Evangeline, got their broom to jump in to their hand immediately. The Slytherins had a great laugh when Weasley's broom shot up and hit him in the face, ignoring the loss of ten points they received for openly laughing at him. James went around the Gryffindors and Slytherins equally, correcting them where they were going wrong and helping them when needed, the Slytherin trio also helped their House — especially the ones who had never been on a broom before.

"Now, mount your brooms, and when I blow my whistle I want you to kick off fly slowly around the pitch and touch back down." James instructed.