As soon as Harry and Arcturus arrived at the center where the summer program was held, a high pitched voice was heard from their right.
"Harry! You're here!"
A moment later, Hermione had run to them to engulf Harry in a hug.
"What happened? Why weren't you here the other day? I was worried you weren't coming back," the young girl babbled.
Seeing the panic in Harry's eyes, Arcturus spoke up.
"He had caught a cold Miss Granger. I didn't want to allow him to come here until he was well again."
"But you feel better now, right?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry, concerned.
"I had to stay in bed for a couple of days, but I feel better now, thanks."
"You came just in time; they just unlocked the gate on the pool, and the activities haven't started yet, so we can go swimming for a little while if you want to."
"Swimming?" Harry asked nervously, blinking a few times, "I don't think I have anything to wear swimming with me, Hermione."
"Mr. Potter, why do you sound nervous? Were you never taught how to swim?" Arcturus asked, a single brow raised in question.
"My Aunt and Uncle made sure my cousin had swimming lessons Sir, but they always sent me to stay with Mrs. Figg. They said someone like me didn't deserve to go to a pool in summer," Harry answered quietly, looking at his feet.
"Well, that is something we shall have to remedy then, isn't it, Mr. Potter? We reside on an island, for all intents and purposes; it is only sensible to learn how to swim. For today, as you do not have a swimming costume with you, you should try to participate in other activities here, however, I will be making sure you have lessons in how to swim," Arcturus commented, with a slight nod.
"If we aren't going swimming, we could go to the activity room. They usually have different crafts to make in there, plus a few games. I made my father a wallet using one of the leather kits they have; all of the pieces of the kit are made so it's easy to put together, so we could do that if you want, Harry," Hermione babbled, excited, before turning to Arcturus, "also, they have swimming classes here, as well as a lifeguard, Lord Black. I'm sure Harry could learn to swim with the class. I'm in one of them myself."
"Mr. Potter, what do you think? Would you like to take swimming lessons here with your friend, or would you prefer to have me hire a swimming instructor for you at my estate?"
Thinking a bit, Harry looked from one to the other, then answered.
"I think I'd like to learn with Hermione, Sir, if you don't mind. She's my friend, and it would be more fun that way."
"Then I shall find out when the classes are held here and make sure you have a swimming costume before your first class. We will be leaving a bit earlier than we usually do today, Mr. Potter. You have an appointment with a physician later, however, I didn't want to deprive you of your time here. I will come to take you to your appointment in two hours."
"Yes Sir. Thank you," Harry said, a huge smile on his face. Grinning at Hermione, the two of them started toward the activity room, both trying to fill in the other about what had happened since the last time they saw each other.
OOO
Kyle had just begun to open files related to various cases he was working on when his secretary walked in his office. With a look of mild curiosity, he looked up from the parchment in his hand.
"Yes, Deborah, what is it?"
"Mr. Stanton, someone called the office just before you came in this morning. He left a number for you to call him back," she said, handing him a slip of paper.
"Did the person give any indication as to what he needed to speak to me about?"
"Only that it was important, Sir."
"Thank you, Deborah, I'll contact the person after finishing my notes for this file."
Ten minutes later, Kyle finished his notes, and walked to the Floo, studying the phone number. It looked similar to the telephone number he'd been given for his house in Little Whinging. On a hunch, he walked away from the Floo to his assistant's desk.
"Deborah, this looks like a muggle telephone number to me. Rather than use the muggle extension for the Floo, I'm going to briefly go into muggle London to make the call. Please inform anyone who asks simply that I'm out of the office, please, and take any messages. I should be back shortly, however, if I'm going to take longer, I'll send you a message."
"Certainly, Mr. Stanton. How long should I wait before beginning to expect a message?"
"I expect the call should be approximately ten minutes, so if I haven't returned in, let's say twenty minutes, expect a message. I can never properly guess how much information someone needs to pass on regarding a case."
"Of course, Mr. Stanton," she said, returning to her work.
Kyle left the office, and walked the short distance to the entry of Diagon Alley, crossing into the Leaky Cauldron. From there, he glanced around, eventually seeing a telephone box. Again looking at the piece of parchment showing the telephone number, he reached into his pocket for the required money, and made the call. After a few rings, Kyle heard a male voice answer.
"This is Constable Parker, how may I help you?"
"Constable, my name is Kyle Stanton, and I'm a solicitor. My assistant gave me a message that someone from this number needed to speak to me, saying the person calling indicated it was urgent."
"Yes, Mr. Stanton it is urgent. I was the one who rang your office. There was a note on the file for two prisoners in our jail that said to contact you and the magistrate who heard the custody hearing for your client if someone other than the prisoners' solicitors, a physician, or Court employee attempted to see them."
"I understand. Perhaps it would be easier for me to come to you so we can discuss this. Is the address on the message you left with my assistant where you are right now?"
"Yes, Mr. Stanton it is. I'm on duty until half seven this evening."
"Then I'll start over there now. I should be there in approximately two hours."
Two hours after the call ended, Kyle walked into the jail and up to the counter.
"My name is Kyle Stanton. I'm here to speak to Constable Parker."
"I'm Constable Parker Mr. Stanton. If you'll wait a moment, I'll let someone know I'm going to be away from the desk for a short while so someone can be sent to relieve me while we talk."
Five minutes later, the Constable was showing Kyle into a small interview room, pulling the door shut behind him. After sitting down and taking a small notepad from his jacket pocket, Kyle took a pen from the table, preparatory to taking notes, and focused on the Constable sitting across from him.
"Now, you said during the telephone call there was a note added to the files of two prisoners that I and the Magistrate were to be informed if anyone other than their solicitors, physicians, or Court employees attempted to see these prisoners. So I'm going to assume that happened. What are the names of the prisoners?" Kyle asked, pen poised over the notepad.
"Someone came in demanding that Vernon and Petunia Dursley be released into his custody. He didn't ask to visit them, he just demanded we release them to him. It wasn't the first time he was here, either."
"How many times before had this person been here, and was the demand the same each time?"
"At least once before while I was on duty, and he demanded the same the first time he was here. He kept staring at me as if I should simply do what he told me to, but I checked the file on the computer, and the Dursleys aren't scheduled to be released before their trial. The man was more than a bit annoyed I didn't jump to bring the Dursleys to him before he left the first time he was here, if you want my honest opinion."
Kyle made a few notes in the notepad, making sure to write 'possible compulsion charm attempt?' in the notes. After a few moments, he looked up and continued with his questions.
"Were you on duty the next time he arrived?"
"Yes, and he demanded the same thing, that we release the Dursleys to him. This time however, he pulled what looked like a candy from his pocket and put it in his mouth. The Constable who was working with me that day asked him what it was the man had just eaten, and being told it was candy, mentioned that he would have expected a sweet shop to wrap a candy like that individually. So the man mentioned his candy wasn't purchased in a sweet shop, that a 'friend of his' made them up for him, and offered one to the Constable who was working with me that day. The Constable took the candy, but didn't eat it."
"What did the Constable do with the candy?" Kyle asked, making more notes.
"He took it into one of the small offices here and tested it Mr. Stanton. He came back and said the candy had been tainted. It was at that time this man was placed under arrest and put in a holding cell. Until we know what the candy was tainted with, he's being held for attempting to assist prisoners to escape justice, although he was told the reason he was being held was attempting to drug a law officer."
"Constable, I'd like a copy of this person's arrest report if you don't mind. Also, if and when you find out what was in the candy, I'd like a copy of that report as well."
"You sound as though you know who this man is already, Mr. Stanton. Care to share?"
"Not at this time, no. I'm sure you understand, Constable."
"I do, actually. My sister's father in law is a solicitor. Give me a moment, and I'll get the copy of the man's arrest report for you."
Five minutes later, the Constable handed Kyle a copy of the arrest report, the words 'Certified Public Access Copy' stamped in red at the top. Looking at the report, Kyle knew he needed to inform Lord Black of the latest development.
Although anything that might have been termed personal identifying information had been marked out, the name and photograph was of Albus Dumbledore. Thanking the Constable for his time, Kyle left to return to his office. He had an urgent Floo call to make.
OOO
The goblin Healer had just finished the last of the examinations, and made several notes on the parchment. A complete workup for Harry Potter had led to more questions than answers; however, with the information now gathered, the goblins now knew what needed to be done.
"Please stay lying down, Mr. Potter. I need to speak to Lord Black for a moment, and some of the tests that were done might make you a bit dizzy if you try to stand too soon. We will be just outside the door should you need one of us."
After looking briefly at Harry, Arcturus followed the Healer out of the room, then raised a brow inquiringly.
"I'm going to assume I won't like what you're about to tell me, so why don't we skip the usual Healer's chatter and go right to what you found out," Arcturus stated, voice low.
"Beyond the injuries that had been found by Healer Greengrass, we found two major concerns in regard to Mr. Potter, and one will need to be dealt with before the other."
"And what are those concerns?"
"The first is the scar on Mr. Potter's forehead. This must be dealt with before the second concern, and it would be best to see it dealt with as soon as he is strong enough. There is Dark residual magic attached to his scar that doesn't match Mr. Potter's magical signature. It is almost sentient, which is worrying, as it will almost certainly be parasitic to Mr. Potter's magical energy. Because I do believe it to be parasitic is the reason it should be dealt with before the second concern; if it isn't, the residual magic could become stronger as a result."
"And what is the second concern? Your explanation so far leads me to believe the second concern relates to the first."
"Someone placed a powerful binding on Mr. Potter's magical core, and given the way it has strengthened and expanded, it was done when Mr. Potter was very young, possibly while still either an infant or toddler. At the moment, if I were to be asked my opinion, I would estimate that with the binding in place, Mr. Potter is only able to access just under half his core's magic. Which is another reason why I recommend the residual magic in the scar be dealt with first."
"Is there any way to weaken this parasitic residual magic? And what are the risks to young Mr. Potter?" Arcturus asked, concerned.
"We could attempt to drain Mr. Potter's core in a controlled manner, before restoring the magic to the core following the removal of the parasite, thus denying the residual magic the energy it is currently feeding from, but there are risks involved. If we need to drain the core to a significant degree, while it would weaken the parasitic residual magic, it could render Mr. Potter a Squib if we aren't able to return the energy quickly enough, because for all intent and purposes, the Dark residual magic could attempt to maintain its hold on Mr. Potter, and effectively burn out his magical core and the channels through which the magic of his core travels. We will be doing everything we can to contain the parasite before this can happen, if this is the option you choose for Mr. Potter."
"Are there other options for treating this?"
"We could take Mr. Potter into a goblin ritual, and try to contain and remove the parasite in that way. For this option, we would need the approval of not only his magical guardian, but the Director. We understand that you are caring for Mr. Potter while his godfather, your grandson, Sirius Black is recovering Lord Black, however, Gringotts is aware that it is your grandson Sirius Black who is the magical guardian of Mr. Potter. Those two options have the greatest chance of success."
"How soon do you need a decision?"
"It would take at least a week to prepare for either option, although during that time Mr. Potter should begin a potion regimen to help bring his health and strength to where it should be for his age. He should be strong enough after completing the potions for either treatment to be administered. I can give you a list of the potions needed so you may have them made, or I can arrange for the Gringotts Healers to supply them to Mr. Potter."
"I'll be visiting my grandson soon, and discuss the options with him. I'll let you know the decision soon. In the meantime, I would prefer Gringotts supplied the potions for Mr. Potter. I don't trust potions purchased in an Apothecary, as you never can be sure of the competence of the brewer, and Mr. Potter's health is too important to ask my house elves to attempt making them for him," Arcturus said, glancing again through the doorway at Harry.
"I believe he's rested from the examinations Lord Black. You may go in and see him, and I'll see to it you have the required potions before you leave Gringotts. He only needs to change from the examination gown into his clothing."
Nodding, Arcturus entered the room to help Harry change, already planning to visit his grandson within the next day or two.
OOO
After placing his notes and the report obtained from the jail on his desk, Kyle took a moment to take a deep breath to center his thoughts. He then walked over to his Floo to call Lord Arcturus Black.
"Mr. Stanton, impeccable timing; I have only just returned with young Harry following his appointment. What can I do for you?" Arcturus asked upon answering the call.
"May I step through, sir? I have some information I believe you would be interested in."
"May I assume this information is somehow related to your young client?"
"Peripherally, but I believe so, Lord Black."
"You may come through."
"One moment to allow me to gather the copies from my desk before stepping through," Kyle stated, quickly taking the notes and report from his desk, then stepping into the Floo, stepping out again into Lord Black's study after a brief spin. He took a moment to clean the soot from his clothing before bowing his head to Arcturus.
"Lord Black, thank you for seeing me."
"You said you had information to give me, Mr. Stanton, information that might relate to young Mr. Potter."
"Yes sir, I believe it does."
"One moment please, Mr. Stanton. Jilly!" Arcturus called, and a moment later, the house elf popped into the study.
"Master calls Jilly? How can Jilly serve?"
"Jilly, I need to leave briefly, and young Mr. Potter has just seen the Healer at Gringotts. Please watch over him until I return. He is supposed to begin taking potions to help his health, the first of which will be with dinner. I should return before then, however. I would like him to continue his practice exercises in his quill writing workbook. Do you understand?"
"Jilly understands, Master. Jilly will take good care of Master Harry, Jilly promises."
After Jilly had popped out of the study, Arcturus looked at Kyle.
"Mr. Stanton, I have been keeping my grandson Sirius updated about young Mr. Potter, since Sirius is his godfather. To save a retelling, I wish for you to accompany me to see him this evening, and you can pass on your information then. I would have asked Sirius to come here, but he wishes to wait until he has fully completed his potions regimen before seeing Young Harry. The Floo address is 'Black Cottage', and the password is 'Hideaway'."
"I understand sir, and of course I can accompany you."
After watching Arcturus carefully, making sure he had the address and password correct, Kyle followed him through the Floo, stepping out into what looked like a large study.
OOO
Sirius had been reading in the study, attempting to relax after lunch before he needed to take his next potions doses, when the Floo flared. Setting the book aside, he stood just as Arcturus stepped out, followed by another man.
"Grandfather, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow evening. Who is your guest? He looks vaguely familiar, as though I've seen or met him before."
"Sirius Orion Black III, Heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, this is Kyle Stanton, a solicitor with the firm Morton, Greengrass and Stanton,who is representing young Harry Potter. He came to see me this evening and says he has information that relates to Harry, so I asked him to accompany me here before sharing the information. I also have a few things which you need to hear, as your input and decision are required for it as the child's godfather and magical guardian. First however, how are you feeling? Your Healer has had good reports so far," Arcturus answered him, briefly laying a hand on his shoulder.
"I've almost finished the potions regimens the Healer set. He says I can move around more, and begin using magic again, but nothing strenuous or that requires a lot of power until I build my stamina, strength, and core reserves a bit more," Sirius answered, before turning to Kyle, "Stanton, I believe my grandfather said? I remember my best friend James Potter mentioning that name. It's good to meet you, Mr. Stanton."
"A pleasure, Heir Black, and yes, I was the solicitor of record for James and Lily Potter. I now represent their son Harry, as Lord Black said."
"Grandfather, you said you both had information for me, and it related to my godson Harry. Why don't we all get a drink and then you can tell me what this is about?"
Twenty minutes later, Sirius was having a difficult time controlling his temper, and carefully set his glass down on the table beside him before focusing on Arcturus.
"Grandfather, I know what my initial reaction is, so before I share what I'm thinking, what are your thoughts, reactions, and recommendations? I think we can all agree that what happens next has to be what would be in the long brew best for Harry, no matter how satisfying revenge might be right now. Because my initial reaction is to find Albus bloody Dumbledore and practice some of what I learned during Auror training. I would agree with what the goblin Healer recommended; remove the Dark residual magic before removing the core binding, we just need to decide which method would be best for Harry."
"Heir Black, as Harry's magical guardian, I wonder if you have been given access to the account ledgers in regard to property and finances for Harry? If so, as his magical guardian, what do you want to do?"
"All I've seen so far have been overall statements, nothing itemized. Though please, away with this 'Heir Black' business - Grandfather told me we all have you to thank for getting Harry out of where he was and where he needs to be now, with us and recovering, That makes you a good man in my book….."
"We would need to schedule an appointment with the Potter Account Manager Krogund for you to move forward with that aspect, as I don't have the authority; all I am able to do is gather the information needed and provide it to the involved parties legally," Kyle stated.
" Grandfather, would you go with me when I speak to Krogund? You have more experience in seeing patterns in finances than I do, and you may notice something I don't."
"Of course Sirius. We can visit Gringotts during Mr. Potter's lessons with his tutor tomorrow. His lessons usually take two hours, sometimes three, depending on the lesson the tutor decides on for that day."
"Do you think Harry is ready to see me yet Grandfather? He was a year old the last time I saw him, and I don't know if he would remember me, but I did swear I would look after him if anything happened to James and Lily. I need to see my godson, Grandfather."
"Oh, I think that can be arranged, Sirius. Tomorrow evening, come for dinner. Young Harry seems to be the most relaxed during mealtimes, so it would be a good opportunity for him to get to know you again."
"I'll be there. Is there anything else I need to know? For example, do we have a definite plan regarding Dumbledore?" Sirius inquired, brow furrowed in anger, "I realize that we have things in place to take him down legally, however, I can't deny I want him to suffer for what he's done as well."
"In due time, Sirius. That particular dish needs a bit more cooling before it's served to Albus Dumbledore. Remember your lessons."
"Yes, Grandfather. Is that everything I need to know now?"
Arcturus turned to look at Kyle, watching as the man nodded slightly, then turned back to his grandson.
"For now, that's everything you need to know or be aware of, and if anything comes up before dinner tomorrow, I'll speak to you after Harry is in bed," Arcturus said, standing, with Kyle and Sirius following suit a moment later.
"Heir Black, it was a pleasure to meet you," Kyle said, offering his hand.
"Likewise, Mr. Stanton," Sirius replied, taking the hand offered.
"Grandfather, thank you, and I'll see you tomorrow for dinner."
"Sirius, you're family, as is young Harry due to being your godson. No thanks are needed."
Sirius watched, deep in thought, as Arcturus and Kyle stepped into the Floo and disappeared.
OOO
Despite the time, Arcturus knew he needed to speak to one other person that evening, so after Harry had been put to bed, Arcturus walked to his Floo to make a call.
"Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Office of Amelia Bones."
A moment later, Amelia answered, a hint of weariness in her voice.
"Lord Black, what can I do for you this evening?"
"Madam Bones, may I step through? I have a few things to discuss with you, if you don't mind."
"And you feel it can't be done over the Floo, Lord Black?"
"Madam Bones, you know as well as I that some things are best done face to face. Beyond that, I also have documents you may find interesting; and before you think to ask, yes, the documents relate to things we have discussed before."
"Very well Lord Black, please step through," Amelia said, before her head disappeared from the flames.
Making sure he had the relevant documents in his pocket, Arcturus stepped through the Floo into Amelia's office. After taking a moment to clean his clothing of soot, he regarded her intently.
"Madam Bones, what would you say if I told you I have evidence of where Albus Dumbledore is right now, as well as a written and signed statement which could be used to argue he quite probably risked the Statute of Secrecy? And that is in addition to what was likely an attempt to have the ability to return a child to an abusive environment."
"Albus Dumbledore has been missing since the day of Sirius Black's trial; you're saying you may know where he is, Lord Black? As for the rest, I would need to see your evidence before I venture an opinion. Please, sit and I'll take a look at what you have."
After taking a seat in a chair in front of the desk, Arcturus reached into his robes and removed the documents Kyle Stanton had given him, handing them to Amelia Bones. After a moment of reading, she raised her eyes to focus on Arcturus, her face unreadable.
"Albus Dumbledore was arrested by muggle police officers, on the day Sirius Black was tried, and that is why he was absent from the trial? Since the witness statement mentions Albus 'staring' at him, I can understand why it would be assumed Albus could have violated the Statute, as that could be an attempt to use any number of spells on a muggle, which could also be seen as muggle baiting, depending on what the spell was. Now the question becomes, why do you believe it to be an attempt to return a child to an abusive environment, Lord Black."
"Albus Dumbledore went to that jail and specifically told the guards to release Vernon and Petunia Dursley into his care, apparently so he could return them to their home. These two people are in jail awaiting trial for child abuse and child neglect, Madam Bones. The only reason I can surmise for him to attempt to get them released would be to return a magical child he placed with them, a child who was removed from their care for abuse and neglect. Due to connections to my family, that child is now living on my estate under sanctuary, and I have been acknowledged by the muggle courts as the child's guardian ad litem."
"Lord Black, may I ask who the child is, without asking you to violate sanctuary?"
"I'm sorry, Madam Bones, I cannot tell you that. Not because I feel you are untrustworthy, but because I cannot be assured of the trustworthiness of people you may need to interact with. What I can tell you is this child is an orphan, and has been since his parents were murdered in October of 1981."
Amelia could feel her anger rise as she put together the clues of who the child might be. She needed to clarify one or two points before she could be sure.
"And the people Albus Dumbledore wanted released from jail are in jail for abusing and neglecting this child, who is magical, a child Albus Dumbledore placed with these people? And the statements you provided strongly suggest he may have used magic to get this accomplished? I want to be sure I understand."
"That is exactly what I believe, Madam Bones. I believe the next step would be to attempt to bring Dumbledore back into the jurisdiction of the DMLE, wouldn't you?"
"So Albus Dumbledore, most likely believing that what he was doing was justified for some reason, was not only idiotic in what he did, thinking he could walk out with a pair of prisoners in a muggle jail just on his say so, he risked the Statute of Secrecy trying to do it! Now I need to contact New Scotland Yard as well as MI-5 to get him transferred to our jurisdiction, which is not as easy as it may seem to some. And the worst of it is, if you're right, he would have returned a magical child who had been abused by muggles to the same people who had been abusing the child in the first place. Lord Black, I'm sure you'll understand my momentary lapse in professionalism right now, and please forgive me in advance for it. I am very tempted to forgo putting that manipulative old man on trial for what he's done and simply strangle him with his own beard!"
"Part of the reason Albus has been able to do what he has for so long, Madam Bones, is the fact he holds the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, as well as being the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Many people believe he can do no wrong, simply because he is Albus Dumbledore. It has also been suggested he be appointed to the International Confederation of Wizards as Britain's representative, which would give him even more power to use his positions and authority to see any charges laid against him dismissed. I suggest removing those positions from him before the charges are laid. He would have no political leverage then, and be unable to use a Wizengamot member's privilege of refusing Veritaserum at trial."
"I will certainly take your suggestions under advisement, Lord Black, and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I hate to cut our meeting short, but it seems I have a great deal of work to do to bring all of these particular nifflers in a row."
"Quite understandable, Madam Bones. Good evening to you."
Nodding his head slightly, Arcturus walked to the Floo and left Amelia's office.
OOO
It was just after breakfast, and Arcturus looked at Harry, seeming to have an internal debate with himself before lightly exhaling. He'd observed the boy fidgeting during breakfast, and chose not to say anything about it, more concerned with making sure the boy was able to finish his meal than he was about correcting table manners. Lessons in table manners could wait until the boy had become more accustomed to being allowed to actually eat more than what amounted to table scraps.
"Am I in trouble, Sir?" Harry asked in a small voice, noticing Arcturus looking at him.
"And why would you think you were in trouble, Harry? Have you done something you shouldn't have done?" Arcturus asked gently.
"I don't think so, but when Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia looked at me like that, I would usually be punished for something, even if it was for Dudley doing something wrong."
"No, you haven't done anything wrong, and you aren't in trouble. I need to go to the bank later with my grandson to help him with something, and I was thinking about that. I did however want to ask you something."
"What?" Harry asked, head tilted in curiosity.
"You said once that your aunt and uncle would ask someone named Mrs. Figg to look after you when they took your cousin on an outing. What do you think of Mrs. Figg? Did you like it when she looked after you for your aunt and uncle?"
"Will I get in trouble if I didn't like it?" Harry almost whispered, head down.
"Of course not. Why would you be in trouble for something like that? If you don't like something, I need to know, so I may think of a way to make it better, or at least think of a way to help you with it, even if you don't like it."
"I didn't like it much, sir. Mrs. Figg would give me something to eat while I was there, but she would spend a lot of time showing me pictures of all of the cats she had, and the cats in her house were always trying to climb on things. I would sometimes go back to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's with their hair on my clothes, and I would get yelled at for it. It didn't smell good there, either. But Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia said I couldn't stay at their house by myself, so Mrs. Figg would look after me for them."
"I see. I know Mr. Stanton saw some of what your cousin and his friends were doing to you, and tried to help. Did Mrs. Figg ever see anything like that?"
"I don't know sir. She never asked me anything about what they did."
"Thank you Harry. Your tutor says you're doing well with your lessons. I read his report on your progress yesterday. Very well done, Harry. He said in his report that even if you don't understand something right away, you keep trying. I'm proud of you for that."
"Only my teachers at Primary school ever said they were proud of me for my schoolwork. It would make Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia mad."
"Why on Earth would doing well in your lessons make your aunt and uncle angry?" Arcturus asked, incredulously.
"My cousin Dudley didn't always do as good as me, sir. I wasn't allowed to do better than Dudley did in school."
"It's 'as well as I', Harry, and they should never have told you you shouldn't try to do your best in school. Harry, do you understand what the word 'cheating' means?"
"I think so. Isn't that when you do something like copy from someone's paper if you don't know something?"
"That's one way of cheating, yes. Another way of cheating is not doing as well as you know you can on purpose, just the way you were doing because your aunt and uncle told you not to do better than your cousin. You were cheating when you did that; you weren't cheating the teacher or the school when you deliberately didn't do as well as you could on your lessons, but you were cheating. Because you were cheating yourself by not doing your best. That is not something I want you to do here, am I understood? You will always do your best. If you don't do your best, and I learn that you haven't been doing your best, then you will be in trouble."
"Yes sir, I promise."
"Excellent. Now, because you have been doing well in your lessons, while I am at the bank, instead of practicing in your quill writing workbook or reading one of your other lessons, you may go outside and play. Jilly tells me the elflings miss their playmate," Arcturus added, with a small smile.
"Thank you, sir! I like playing with the baby elves. They always know fun games to play."
"I need to leave for the bank in a few minutes. If you have finished eating, you may go outside. While I am gone, please listen to Jilly and Mipsy. They will be looking after you until I return."
Arcturus watched as Harry stood from the table and rushed out the French doors that led to the garden outside. After taking a final sip of his tea, he stood and called for his elves.
"Jilly, Mipsy!"
Two pops and the elves were standing in front of him, eyes wide.
"Master calls Jilly and Mipsy! How may Jilly and Mipsy serve?"
"I must go to Gringotts; my grandson Sirius has asked for my help. While I am away, young Harry is in your care. He is allowed to play with the elflings and not work on lessons today. I expect you to keep him safe until I return. Sirius will also be joining us for dinner this evening, please prepare a meal for three, possibly four, as I don't know if young Harry's solicitor will also be joining us."
"Jilly and Mipsy will watch over young Master Harry, Master. We likes young Master Harry, Master Harry plays with the elflings and the elflings don't get sad they be too little for workings yet."
Assured Harry would be looked after until he returned, Arcturus went to his study and Flooed to Gringotts.