See end for notes:
Last chapter:
"Do not underestimate me, Sirius Black." She said, her wand pressing into his throat again. "You and your little gang were and are horrible people from what little I've heard and seen," she said, through gritted teeth, "Harry and I have walked through hell together, and there is nothing I would not do to keep him safe. You have hurt him too many times, have failed him too many times and I am tired of watching it-""You've got this all wrong, out of proportion-" Black wheezed. "No," she spat, "you have it all wrong Sirius Black. Stay the fuck away from Harry. You do more harm than good. You're pathetic." He reeled back as if she had struck him with more than just words, and stealing herself, she cast her spell with not a hint of regret.
"Confundus-obliviate" Hermione said, her wand not wavering.
When Sirius's eyes went glassy, she turned his face, so his eyes met hears and continued, "Harry and I came to visit you. We talked about Crouch, Moody, the tournament, that is all. You told us a bit about the war. We did not talk about Dumbledore or how he has manipulated Harry. You won't remember Harry saying Dumbledore placed compulsions on him. Harry asked about his father and was upset at what you told him. You told us about what you all did to Professor Snape, and what you did to Lily. Harry didn't find your bullying as funny as you thought he would. That is what you argued about, he ran off, and you told him not to come back. You will not tell Dumbledore what was said in this meeting. And you will stop reporting back to Dumbledore every little thing Harry says.
You will go back into the cave and curl up for a nap. You will not remember me spelling you or the conversation we have just had."
"Right," Sirius mumbled getting up and shifting back into a dog and going back into the cave.
Hermione followed him in and watched as he curled up by Buckbeak and went to sleep. The Hippogryph watched her with solum yellow eyes. But she got the impression he was not necessarily disapproving.
Hermione summoned Sirius's wand and put it down next to him. She then picked up Harry's forgotten bag, stumbled out of the cave and promptly threw up. She couldn't believe she'd done that. She'd never obliviated anyone before. She was horrified.
But she didn't regret it.
When her stomach was calmer, she washed her mouth out with an aquamenty charm, then banished the water and the sick. She didn't want anyone knowing what had happened.
Taking a few deep breathes, she hurried down the mountain after Harry.
When she got to the stile at the base of the hill, she was about to climb over it to look for Harry in Hogsmeade, when Harry appeared from under the cloak.
Hermione screamed.
"Sorry," he said hoarsely, "sorry! Didn't mean to startle you."
She climbed up onto the stile and sat down next to him, hugging him tightly. It was to comfort herself as much as it was to comfort him, but he flinched away violently, his eyes wide and wild.
She let go as if burned, feeling teary, hunching her shoulders. It had been a long while since he'd flinched away from her.
"Harry?" She asked cautiously.
There was a hollow look in his eyes, and she could see him trembling. He looked like she felt, hollow and shaky as if she could shake apart at any moment.
"Sorry, sorry," he said his voice thin, "Is, is he really mad? I shouldn't have said anything, shouldn't have argued. I shouldn't have run, should have just taken it, so he doesn't... But I was just so... I just felt so angry and so betrayed! He's not what I thought. Not who I thought! Not what I wanted him to be, and he never will." Harry said quietly, his hands shaking. "I thought he'd hit me."
She nodded, "me too," she agreed, "But you did the right thing. You have every right to call him up on it. And to leave. You didn't do anything wrong, he just doesn't understand," she said, placing a cautious hand on his shoulder. Harry flinched again but didn't move away.
Hermione hesitated a moment, before telling Harry exactly what she had done.
"We couldn't risk it getting back to Dumbledore that you know, either about the compulsions or that you're not so ignorant of your parents. And I didn't know what else to do. He wouldn't take an oath, and he could have slipped out of it," she babbled, "I'm no good at legilimency so I couldn't obliviate him with that, so I used the simpler, confundus-obliviate."
Harry stared at her, wide-eyed as she kept babbling, explaining.
Finally, she ran out of words and trailed to a stop with, "say something! Please..."
But he didn't know what to say, so he just hugged her, hard. And she hung on for a long time, hugging him back just as desperately.
"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely, "you shouldn't have done it, but I'm glad you did."
*
They got back just in time for dinner and then met up with the others in the kitchen.
"How was it?" Neville asked when they sat down.
"Not up to talking about it," Harry said, flatly feeling exhausted.
Neville nodded, looking worriedly at Hermione.
She smiled reassuringly at him and said, "it wasn't great, but what did you three get up to?"
They frowned at her worriedly, but Neville started telling them about the plants he and the twins had been talking about in the twins' latest prank sweet. Maybe it would distract Harry from whatever had happened with his godfather that was bothering him so much.
"Remember the ton-tongue toffee?" Fred said
Harry winced at the idea of what the Dursley's would do to him for that, but then remembered he was never going back and grinned at the twins. It had been hilarious and served Dudley right. He was never going back to the Dursley's. Not ever.
"We're going to make more like that." Fred continued
"A range of sweets that do different things," Said George
"Brilliant!" Harry said, trying to bring his attention onto that and not the disasters meeting with his godfather, or the memory of his relatives.
"What else are you thinking of?" Hermione said interestedly, "how are you going to do it?"
But as interesting as it was Harry couldn't focus on it. All he could think of was the look on Sirius's face and how Harry had been sure for a moment that Sirius would hit him. That and Sirius words were ringing in Harry's head over and over.
You walk out, don't expect to come back!
Yeah! You keep running!
Snivillus doesn't count! He's not an inferior, he was a no-one, a nobody, Harry, he was nothing
nothing, nothing, nothing.
I'm nothing.
He couldn't stop thinking about it.
You shut your mouth, Harry James!
You take that back, Harry James, take it back!
Take it back! Take it back! Take it back!
It kept echoing in Harry's mind.
Take it back!
Would his godfather really have hit him?
Harry had thought in that moment that he might. There had been a look in Sirius's eyes that frightened Harry. A wild fury Harry had seen in him that night in the Shack with Wormtail. The same look Vernon got in his eyes before he belted Harry. But surely not? He was meant to be Harry's family.
But then so were the Dursley's...
But if Harry couldn't trust his blood family, his relatives, he corrected himself harshly, if he couldn't trust his blood or his godfather... The one person who had willingly chosen to take up the responsibility of caring for him... if he couldn't trust Sirius not to hurt him, to look after him... who could Harry trust?
Sirius's words kept rocketing around his brain, drowning the rest of the world out, mixing in with the words of his relatives.
Freak!
You keep running!
Freak! Freak!
You walk out, don't expect to come back!
Yeah, You keep running!
You keep running!
Don't expect to come back! You good for nothing Freak!
"Harry?" Hermione said gently, putting a hand on his arm.
He lurched away, falling off the bench, and scrambling backwards.
He glanced up, his heart pounding "what is it? What's wrong?!"
"Shit." He swore, realising just how badly he'd freaked out over nothing.
They were all looking at him. He wanted to crawl under the table and hide, instead, he stood and shakily made himself sit down on the bench again, "sorry, I'm fine. Sorry, what's up?"
Hermione, slowly again, telegraphing her movement in a way she hadn't needed to in ages, took his hand and helped him up and back onto the bench.
He almost flinched at the caring worry in her eyes but forced himself not to. He didn't want to worry them.
"we're were thinking of going to the library, Harry," she said gently, "I want to look up those new names, will you join us?"
He blinked, trying to get his brain up and running again.
"I need to talk to Dobby," he said woodenly, "and go to the owlery, and I still have detention before curfew."
"Will you be okay?" She asked, worried.
Would he? His godfather hated him, never wanted to see him again. He had been his godfather. He was supposed to be the last of the people who were meant to be family and yet he wasn't.
No. He had a family, family who loved him and had his back. A family he could trust no matter what. Hermione, Neville, the twins, Bill and Charlie. They were his family. That was enough. That was everything.
That family just didn't include Sirius.
"I'll be fine, I just need some time," he said hollowly. "Can you do me a favour, though?"
She nodded earnestly, "of course, what do you need?"
"Can you see if you can find me a book on the Mer in the lake? I'm after something on their language, culture and customs. I only found books on their anatomy and diet. Not at all what I need, but you're better and finding things in the library than I am" Harry said glumly.
"Sure. I'll see what I can find," she said and after giving him another hug, left for the library with Neville.
Fred and George, however, stayed behind.
"We're going to the owlery too," they said, "we'll wait for you."
It wasn't a question.
"I won't be too long. I don't have much time before detention," he said quietly, going over to were Dobby was washing some dishes.
Despite what had happened, he didn't want Sirius starving on rats. No-one deserved that. Harry knew what it was like to starve. He wasn't about to be responsible for causing someone else to go through that. And if Dumbledore wasn't long to look after his lackey, then it fell to Harry to look after the bastard.
He sighed.
"I need a favour if you don't mind," he said.
"Anything Harry Potter sir!" the elf said.
"I need an order of food for my godfather," he told Dobby, "he's working for Dumbledore and is starving. Do you think you could organise something regularly? Dumbledore forgot to feed him. Oh and maybe something for Buckbeak too."
Dobby nodded his big green eyes widening, he understood why that bothered his friend.
"Dobby will make a package for Mr Harry Potter's Dogfather sir, and Beaky".
"Thank's Dobby, I really appreciate it," Harry said tiredly, "I'll get Hedwig to send it. It's safe enough now I've got her protected."
"Don't you worry Mr Harry Potter sir," the elf said, patting Harry's knee, "Dobby will be taking care of bad Doggy-father and Beaky, you just be asking Missy Headywig to come down in the mornings to pick it up. Dobby is thinking you is not wanting Doggy-father knowing you has elves's."
"No, he'll tell whiskers," Harry said quietly, making Dobby grin.
"Dobby is getting it done sir, you is not needing to worry, Dobby be taking care of it."
"You're the best, Dobby I don't know what I would do without you and Winky," Harry said with feeling.
Dobby just nodded sagely, then grinned, hugged Harry's legs and rocketed off around the kitchen, putting together another package of food.
*
Fred and George were quiet as they went up to the Owlery bracketing Harry between them without touching him. Something Harry was embarrassingly grateful for. He didn't think he could have taken it just then.
He glanced up into the sea of owls and smiled when he immediately spotted a blur of white sawing down to him. Hedwig landed on his arm and nuzzled his cheek. He clenched his jaw, wanting badly to hug her. But she didn't like hugs, so he just leant into Fred and George and contented himself with stroking her feathers while she nibbled at his hair.
He laughed at her, "Fawkes was doing that too," he said as she pulled a strand out of his now windswept braid, "what's with you guys?"
She just hooted softly at him, rubbing their cheeks together.
"Take this to snuffles?" He murmured almost silently, scratching her chin with a finger, just the way she liked it.
She looked at him for a long moment as if assessing, knowing, of course, exactly who he meant. She nodded her beak and flapped her wings landing on the package Dobby had tied in paper and twine.
"Smart owl," said Fred, impressed.
Harry smiled, "she is," he said, "she's the best. Can you go to Dobby in the kitchens every morning?" He asked her, "I have to keep him fed, and Dobby will have a package ready for you. That okay?"
Hedwig hooted reassuringly at him and allowed Harry to carry her to the windows so she could glide out the window.
As she sawed out of sight, an eagle owl glided around the Owlery, and out of sight. Harry wondered if it was Malfoy's owl, he was the only one Harry knew of that had an eagle owl.
Harry turned back to the twins as Fred pulled out a sealed letter from his pocket. George coaxed a barn owl down to take it. He muttered softly to it and then carried the barn owl over to the window, and it took off.
Harry looked at them curiously but didn't ask. They'd tell him if he wanted to know. Even if he really did want to know, they'd been so good to him, and never pressed when he didn't want them to. He'd return the favour.
George glanced at Fred, who said, "having problems with a bet we won and being repaid."
Harry frowned, then as things clicked into place, said, "the world cup? Bagman?"
"Yep," said George, "the buggers avoiding us," he said with a grin.
Suddenly Harry couldn't not ask. He can't hold it back, and he blurted out, "how are you so cheery all the time? Because you're saying one thing, but I don't think it's true. Is it?" But it's not really a question.
"course we're happy all the time harrykins-" Fred said a smile still fixed on his face.
"-we don't know how to be sad." George finished
And their smile's were all bright and happy, and Harry would have believed them had he not been able to feel their magic shifting like a changing tide. It made their flawless smiles seem slightly brittle.
He said nothing but pulled them both simultaneously into a tight hug.
He initiated hugs, but he was coming to learn that a hug could make just about anything a little better.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "whatever is it, whatever you need, you can tell me, I'm here for you, I promise. I don't want this to be a one-sided friendship" he said not letting them go, "your Family."
They hugged him back and grinned, "like our charlie-bear said, 'never lie to an empath brother-"
"you leek feelings everywhere, giving it away".
Harry laughed, "that sounds like him. So Bagman's not paying up?" He said, getting back on topic.
"No," George said, letting his morose tone show on his face for a change.
"We've been sending him letters trying to get the guy to pay us back," said Fred hotly, "he took all our savings!"
"Shit," said Harry, "let me know if I can do anything to help."
"Thanks, Harrykins," George said.
"You need the money for your joke shop, yeah?" Harry asked.
"Yep," said Fred proudly, before his grin faded.
"Unfortunately at the moment there's nothing we can do legally to make him cough up," said George
"Other than pestering him," Fred said, "We're thinking of blackmailing him next," he added jokingly.
Harry's first thought was, "don't get caught," then added, "because it's meant to be illegal."
The twins snorted, slinging arms around Harry and said, "and that Harrykins,"
"Is why we like you best."
"I'd offer to lend you the money, but I don't have it either at the moment. But I'll see if I can weasel anything out of him when I see him at the next task," Harry said, placing a hand on their shoulders.
"Thanks, mate." They said in unison, bumping him with their shoulders.
"No problem, I need to get to detention," he said as they descended the steps.
"We'll walk you there", Fred said, looping an arm through Harry's and then through Georges.
"But let me know if I can do anything else to help. I don't have much, but I'm happy to help you guys out, your family." Harry said
George glanced at Fred a moment, and Fred said, "we do actually have something we need do a hand with. If your offering."
"We've stayed out of the forest but are now low on ingredients." George continued, "we normally get some of the things we need for our pranks and experiments there.
"Give me a list, and I'll see what I can do," Harry said as they worked their way through the castle towards the Charms corridor.
"Thanks, Harrykins"
"If you're in there regularly, you could sell them," George suggested.
"We know you're hard up for cash at the moment too, what with whiskers holding your purse strings," added Fred
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"We sell potions and prank things, like the tonne tongue toffees and the fake wands."
"Hogwarts has quite the underground black market."
"We heard about it for Bill and Charlie."
"We sometimes collect ingredients from the forest and sell what we don't need." Fred finished.
Harry thought about it a moment then said, "I don't want to plunder the forest for my own gain, it doesn't feel right. But it's a good idea. What we really need is a greenhouse." he said slowly, thinking a moment. "We could set up a greenhouse in the shack land. We could grow our own. I'll need new ingredients next year and the extra exam fees. And who knows what you guys need. I don't know if I'll be able to withdraw any gold from my trust next year. So you're right, we need a way to make an income."
"That would be a brilliant idea," said George.
"If we work on it together we could make potions and things to sell, and potion kit top-ups", Fred said, "Hermione could probably join in with exam study notes and schedules."
"You can sell those shield bracelets you make," George suggested.
"You should work on stronger shielding clothes too," Fred said.
"Especially if war is coming," added George, "we were thinking about shield hats as a duelling gimmick. But we could expand on that idea, and you're shield bracelets.
"When we open our own shop, you could sell them through use if you like, and the fireproof shirts. Charlie's already mentioned his boss is practically salivating at the prospect of getting them."
"That means if for some reason I can't work over the summer I won't have to worry about not being able to afford school books and the extra O.W.L. fees," Harry said excitedly.
"Exactly!" The twins chorused, as they rounded the last corner and entered the Charms corridor.
"How do you think we afford so many sets of school books?" Said Fred
"Hogwarts has quite the underground black market selling all sorts of things," George said, "Bill and Charlie started using it to afford their own books."
"That's how we help make sure we all get copies of own school books," Fred said, "selling homework is quite lucrative, and test answers."
"Don't tell Hermione that!" Harry snorted, "How do you get the test scores?"
They grinned, "we don't!"
"We take notes after tests on what questions we were asked and make notes to sell to the year bellow," Fred said, as they stopped outside Flitwick office.
That would take a weight off his mind. The basilisk may bring in income, so would Morbid's during the summer, but all those extra O.W.Ls would be expensive as would accommodation over the summer. Without was access to gold, Harry had been worried about if he'd have enough later in the year. This would be a good way to ease that.
"Right, you guys start listing what you'd need, and talk to Neville, we can make a start on it tomorrow. We'll need to ward the Shack too, that land is mine, so we can set up our greenhouse there" Harry started, feeling much better than he had since he'd left Hogsmeade.
The twins gave him a mock salute and dashed off to the library, but not before, saying, "if you want to talk about your godfather," "we're here for you, Harrykins," before Vanishing around the corner.
*
Professor Flitwick seemed to take no notice of Harry being a tad late. Or maybe he caught how jumpy and warn out Harry was and chose not to press it. But the Professor just handed Harry a thick charms tome to start writing line from along with a cup of tea. Harry was quite pleased that he managed to wandlessly cast detection charms on the cup without it being noticed, by the Professor.
They seemed to have moved on from writing lines on water charms and silent casting. Today's book was had various passages bookmarked. Today he was learning about three air charms; the bubblehead charm, allowing him to breathe underwater, a resuscitation charm to getting air into a person's lungs and an air purification charm.
It was a short work to get the passages copied and to get the charms right. It took little longer to manage them silently, they were not Fourth-year spells, but by the time he managed it, it was not yet curfew.
With an hour still before the end of Harry's detention, Flitwick gave Harry a test next.
"Severus wanted to quiz you on how you're getting along catching up on Etiquette and the like," Professor Flitwick explained, "he wanted to know how much ground he has to cover after you've caught up with potions."
Harry blinked a little surprised but took the test. He felt like he whizzed through the test with surprising ease. The tiny Professor glanced over it then grinned.
"You have been working hard. I'll look at it in detail shortly, but by the looks of it, you're going very well. That etiquette O.W.L. should be no trouble for you."
"I have no idea what O.W.L. you're talking about, sir," Harry stuttered.
Professor Flitwick smirked and nodded sagely.
Harry stared, how was it that both Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape seemed to know he wanted to take extra O.W.Ls? Just how much did they know?
"Um, sir?" Harry asked hesitantly after a moment, "I don't suppose you have any books on the customs of the mer in the lake? The library only had one on them as creatures, not anything specific to the culture and ways. I've asked Hermione to double-check for me, but I don't think she 'l have any more luck."
"Hmm," the Professor said glancing over at one of his many bookcases. I'll have to have a look for you, Mr Potter."
"Thank you, sir."
Before Harry left, the Professor said, "are you alright, Mr Potter?"
Harry could feel the concern coming from the wizard. But he just said, "fine sir, thank you for the help," and left.
*
Harry had nightmares that night.
Even his dream catcher didn't seem to manage to catch them all. He had nightmares of war. His father and his gang of bullies and Dudley with his, laughing a high cold laugh as the world lit up in flashes of green.
He woke with his mother screams in his ears and the phantom sting of Vernon's belt against his skin.
He jerked upright, tangled in his blankets and sticky with sweat. He clawed off his blankets, desperate to get out. It was frightfully early. And he barely had the mind to cast a hasty disillusionment spell over himself, pulling on his cloaks before he dashed out of the cupboard, desperate for fresh air.
The snow bit at his bare feet as he ran across the grounds to the tree line. Shit, he didn't want to go to war. He didn't want any more violence. He didn't want to hurt any more. Or to hurt anyone.
He stopped when he couldn't feel his feet anymore and collapsing on the frozen earth under a gnarled old elm tree panting. Fuck, it was cold. His toes were starting to turn blue. He should have put shoes on!
He cast a hasty warming charm on his feet and used his wand to draw runes along the soles of his feet to keep them warm and protected from the snow.
The heat burned as it returned the feeling to his icy feet, and he had to bite his knuckles to stop from crying out, as he wiggled his toes painfully.
He was an idiot, he thought to shake his head at himself.
There was movement behind him, and he worked wand out, cursing himself for leaving his bag, with his bow in his cupboard. But it was only Firenze.
"The stars are shadowed tonight, young foal." The centaur said solemnly, glancing up at the sky then looking at Harry with concern for a long moment.
"And yet, Procyon can be seen through the clouds," the centaur said solemnly.
Procyon... Canis Minor, Professor Trelawny had said it meant dog bites. Well. That was surprisingly accurate for the... Little Dogstar.
Harry shivered.
The little dog star, Canis Minor. Not Sirius, the Dogstar. Canis Major.
His heart twisted painfully at the thought of his godfather. He supposed he had been bitten today, in a sense. Had Siris really been going to hit him? Did Sirius really never want to see him again? Why couldn't Sirius be the adult and guardian Harry needed. Why was it that every adult he turned to seemed to be more a curse than a gift?
He felt it was strangely fitting that it was the star Procyon and not Sirius that was shining through the clouds. The Dog Star could have meant forgiveness. But the little Dogstar did not. The little dog star was violence, and good things ending in disaster, just like his visit to Sirius that afternoon. Harry wasn't sure if he could forgive Sirius. Not this time. Not when the words, 'yeah you keep running,' still echoed over and over in his head.
Actually, he thought morosely Canis Minor may have had something to do with water and drowning as well, according to Professor Trelawny. It just got better and better.
It didn't bode well for the second task. He glanced up at the sky, but the clouds had moved, and he could see no stars through the canopy of the trees.
Firenze offered Harry a hand and pulled him to his feet.
Harry bowed in belated greeting, "good evening Elda."
"You are troubled tonight young foal." The centaur said simply.
"Yes, Elda. The stars are shadowed tonight in my dreams as well."
They walked for a time through the dark trees.
"Elda?" He asked softly after a while, "my friends have often been in the forest collecting ingredients. They have stayed out since I asked them not to. But they are after more ingredients." Harry said.
"There have been fewer students invading us of late," the centaur agreed sounding pleased, glancing up at the cloud covered sky again.
"We collect ingredients for Professor Snape, but they asked if I could gather some for them. I was thinking of instead of foraging for them, maybe I could collect seeds and cuttings and making a greenhouse by the Shack to grow them."
The centaur said nothing at this for a long time, but he didn't disagree. Which for the centaur was sometimes as good as encouragement.
"You will find fewer seeds for your greenhouse at this time of year, and it is not the correct time for cuttings. Best collect them when the trees are turning green again, or when the leaves are turning gold and red. But young foal, some harvesting, as we have before now, does the forest no harm, as long as you a wise in your choices, and take only what you need, taking some but not all."
"Thank you Elda," Harry said, before adding hesitantly, "I was considering maybe encouraging the forest to extend back over the land of the Shrieking Shack. I think it was once part of the forest, but was cleared."
"That land was once forest." The centaur confirmed, "well young wizard we shall have to start collecting seeds for the spring then, to return that land to as it should be."
Harry beamed, and Firenze said, "return at dawn, we'll have work to do."
*
The following morning the centaur heard seemed to have turned up in droves to the Shrieking Shack, to survey what work would need to be done, to restore the land to forest. Harry was rather relieved they seemed keen to help him. It would be a big task. But one that Harry felt was the right thing to do. The sheer number of them seemed to shock Harry's friends, who had never seen that many centaurs before.
The centaurs were patrolling the land to see what would have to be done to return the area to its former glory. They seemed inordinately pleased that Harry was returning their bit of forest to them. And didn't even seem to mind that the house would stay, and they had every intention of putting a potions patch and a greenhouse there.
Harry and his ex-Gryffindor friends were also there. They had been very excited about the new group project, particularly Neville, who was thrilled to have free rein over what they grew.
"And I'll have plenty of my own dirt to play with!" Neville chirped blissfully, once Harry had assured the boy that Harry was really happy with the idea.
"Gran never lets me have free rain in the garden at home, she's got it taken up by her prize roses!" He said, squatting down to test the earth quality.
The twins too were thrilled to be able to grow what they needed for the pranks and experiments and have easy access to whatever they needed. The idea of doing a small business out of it and earning some money for their joke shop was also something they were all quite keen on. And Hermione was thrilled with something new to study and work on.
Harry was happy to leave it up to Neville who seemed to have taken over the project with the twins. And in no time at all, Neville had a good space for a greenhouse and a potions patch marked out not too far from the Shack.
Once the space had been decided, they spent Sunday in the library.
Neville was planing the greenhouse out first with the twins. Between the three of them, they were working out how to make the greenhouse and what they'd need in it first, along with what could then just be grown in the outside patch.
Harry grinned and left them to it, as Neville started brainstorming a series of growth potions and fertilisers they'd need over the spring and summer to use to help the forest recover, and a good starting mixture for the soil in their new greenhouse.
Hermione helped Harry plan out award scheme, both for the veggie patch and greenhouse as well as the ward plan for the whole property. Harry wanted to keep out any person not invited but make sure the forest flora and fauna had free range. Harry would get the goblins to set proper ones up over the summer, but in the meantime, he would set up some basic ones, hopefully with the help of Bill.
END NOTES:
There are two types of obliviates.
Obliviate which either requires a type of legilimency to go into the mind and edit or clip memories. This one is very hard to cast and you need a talent/experience in the mind arts to do it or it can wipe the mind completely/ do a lot of damage. This type of obliviate can be followed by a simple confounds charm to confuse the person. This specific obliviate is not as common and is harder to undo and to notice, and cast. Oblivators for the ministry know this kind but often don't bother with it, as the other type of ovliviation is easier and generally does the trick.
The other kind is simple. A condundus-obliviate combines confusion and forgetfulness. (I made it up) It confuses the mind enough that the caster just needs to tell them what they do and don't remember and it will obliviate/rewrite the mind accordingly. It's an easier form of obliviate. So that Hermione as a fourth year could manage it. (it is easer to undo and is easer for a legilimence to spot, but it still takes work and effort and you need to think to look for it, so its still unlikely to be undone unless your as paranoid as harry)
This is the kind Harry has mostly had used on him.
Stars:
Procyon is mostly unfortunate although it is sometimes wealth producing. It has strong potential as a cause of violence; it brings sudden success then disaster.
I'm not familiar with northern sky's so if it's not actually visible there at that time of year, lets pretend it is.
Also the comment about adults, he doesn't really consider Bill and Charlie as proper adults. Bill and Charlie are one of them.