A Promise Kept - Chapter 5 - Impressions

Impressions

He ignored the fervent whispering as he made his way towards the table, pausing as a much taller and broader boy, almost man stepped in front of him as he reached it.

“Harry Potter,” he said cordially, offering his hand. “My name is Adrian Grave, one of the seventh-year prefects of our house.”

Harry accepted the proffered limb, and Adrian clapped him smartly on the shoulder before gesturing for him to take a seat.

He did so as the whispering continued, and Olivia gave him something of an appreciative smile from where she was sitting directly opposite him.

“We will spend some time after the feast explaining how everything works,” Adrian assured the newcomers. “Don’t worry, you will all be taken care of.”

Harry paid little attention to the rest of the sorting and spent much of it doing his utmost to ignore the continued staring of the other students. Fortunately, it wasn’t so long after that the table was full of food and realising that it had been several hours since he had last eaten, he began filling his plate.

“I don’t need to tell you that what happened is quite something,” Adrian spoke. “We didn’t even get one student with two totems this year, and I have never seen three.”

“The last was 1938,” a girl wearing a prefects badge broke in, “and we haven’t had two totems in five years. Getting more than one is the highest honour any first year can receive, but that means they will be watching you, Harry. They will have expectations.”

“Don’t frighten the boy, Alex,” Adrian huffed. “The only person who should have any expectations should be Harry himself, and that is what he should focus on. Sorry about her, Harry. She takes her heritage more seriously than anyone else.”

“Her heritage?”

Adrian nodded.

“Alexandra Wilkinson, descendant of one of the original twelve Aurors of MACUSA, just like you and me.”

“Me?”

Adrian frowned at him confusedly before chuckling.

“You don’t know of Abraham Potter?”

Harry shook his head.

“I don’t know much about my father’s side of the family. My mother is a muggleborn and knows little, and my father was killed before I was old enough to learn anything about them. I’m the last of us.”

Adrian offered him a sympathetic smile.

“Sorry, Harry, I didn’t think before I spoke, but if you’re interested in hearing about him…”

“I am.”

Adrian nodded.

“Well, at the end of the seventeenth century when MACUSA was first formed, Josiah Jackson faced the problem of dealing with the lawlessness of the country. There were many dark wizards and Scourers, witches and wizards that were hunting their own kind for profit, that needed to be captured. Only twelve people volunteered, and Abraham Potter, was one of them, as was my own ancestor Gondulphus Grave.”

“And Charity Wilkinson,” Alexandra broke in.

“And Charity,” Adrian acknowledged. “They were the very first magical law enforcement in America, and it is widely known that Abraham Potter came from Britain, from your family, Harry.”

“Well, I didn’t know that.”

Adrian laughed heartily.

“Now you do. It’s not just what happened to you that will see others paying close attention, but because of Abraham. He is held in high esteem, and the mystery surrounding what did happen to you only makes you more interesting. Add the incident with the totems, and you’ve already got quite the legacy to liv up to.”

“Great,” Harry huffed.

Adrian shook his head amusedly.

“As I said, the only expectations that should concern you should be your own, but I will say one thing that should bring you some comfort, the totems do not lie. They do not care about your heritage, only what they see in you. That is what you should remember.”

Harry nodded.

“Thanks, Adrian.”

He did feel somewhat better for the older boys’ words, and grateful for having learned something else about his family. It was not what he’d expected, but he was grateful.

“Why are there so few of us compared to the other houses?” Olivia asked.

“I think the question you should ask is why there are so many,” Adrian returned. “If you take the average person you meet, they avoid conflict at all costs, will tolerate transgressions against them to a degree to avoid retaliation or confrontation. That is not a bad thing. Self-preservation is in our nature, but our house isn’t so literal in what it means to be a warrior. Of course, there are those among us that thrive in heated situations, who respond well to pressure, and are naturally gifted in duelling and such, but being a warrior does not necessarily mean just that.”

“It doesn’t?” Olivia asked.

“No,” Adrian chuckled. “Being a warrior is more of a spirit one possesses. Some will fight with wands, others with their minds, and some both. Being a warrior means having the courage the fight for what you believe in by what means are at your disposal. It is the spirit of courage, resilience and so much more. It is the embodiment of wanting to protect, preserve, and betterment.”

“I didn’t think of it that way,” Olivia murmured.

Adrian smiled at the girl.

“Very few do. Quite often, someone that finds themselves here do not believe they are a warrior at heart, but they find what it is they are willing to fight for, and the tools to do so. Like I said, it doesn’t have to be their wand. The mind is a powerful weapon.”

“Like Occlumency and Legilimency,” Harry mused aloud, “but also tactics and planning.”

“Exactly, Harry,” Adrian praised. “Exactly that. I am curious, and you can tell me to get lost if it is too personal, but why did you choose us?”

“That is something I am interested to know,” another voice broke in.

Harry turned to see that Professor Fontaine had approached with one of the women in tow that had greeted them through the archway into the school.

“You are free to not answer the question,” the former assured him.

Harry frowned thoughtfully.

Although it was a personal question, it wasn’t something he was unwilling to share.

“Because it was the one I am most uncertain of.”

Professor Fontaine sported an expression of surprise, and the woman next to him nodded.

“Could you explain, Potter?” the headmaster pressed.

“Well, my mother has always insisted I read, and it is something I enjoy. She says I have a natural curiosity for things, which gets me into more trouble than I can tell you, but I learn from reading about things, and then doing them. I spend half of my life in trouble for being too adventurous for my own good. I get bored easily and look for things to do…”

“Which as a young, curious boy, means things that will have your long-suffering mother turning grey.”

Harry nodded as he fought the urge to grin, eliciting a similar response from Professor Fontaine.

“Well, it seems to me that you have just demonstrated exactly why three of our totems were keen to claim you as one of their own,” the woman mused aloud. “You just demonstrated a keen mind by being able to reflect on your reasoning, a trait the serpent admires, and you chose the path unknown, an undeniable adventure in its own right, but you showed the courage needed to do so. The mind, the adventurer, and the warrior,” she reeled off.

The other students at the table murmured amongst themselves.

“Indeed,” Professor Fontaine said thoughtfully. “This is Professor Tara Clarke, she will be the Head of the first-year students of your house, and your Charms instructor throughout your time at Ilvermorny.”

“Lucky,” Adrian grumbled.

“I will take that as a compliment, Mr Grave,” the woman replied. “Now, would you and Miss Wilkinson do your jobs and escort them to the common room? They have a long day ahead of them, no?”

“Of course, Professor,” Adrian acquiesced. “Come on, we don’t want detention on the first day back.”

Professor Clarke quirked an eyebrow at the prefect and shook her head somewhat amusedly.

“And that will be ten points to Wampus, Mr Potter,” Professor Fontaine called after them. “For demonstrating a keen mind, and the adventurousness of your other peers.”

Harry could only nod in response, and frowned as Adrian wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“Good work, Harry,” he praised, “but don’t think I’m going to be kissing your ass for the rest of the year. Now, come on, you all even get to have your own rooms in our house.”

Harry shook his head as he attempted to shift the fog in his brain.

He vividly remember being shown to the room that would be his for his time at Ilvermorny, had even written to his mother and Sirius to inform them of what had happened since he’d arrived, but everything else after was something of a blur.

He remembered Adrian coming to fetch him where he’d been taken to the common room to celebrate them all being chosen by the Wampus.

They’d drunk pumpkin juice, and now, he was here, lying on a hard, cold, stone floor, feeling quite lethargic.

What had happened, he wasn’t certain, but Harry knew that panicking would not help him out of the situation.

Taking stock of what he had, he found he was still in his pyjamas, and that his wand was still up his sleeve, which was tied behind his back.

Opening his eyes, he realised he was blindfolded, but not as helpless as whoever had left him in such a state would hope.

“What’s going on?” a panicked voice asked.

Harry frowned.

So, it wasn’t just him and judging by the sudden sounds of movement he could hear around the room he was in, it was all of the first years that had been taken.

“Quiet!” he said irritably as the others continued to struggle against their bindings. “You’ll only make the knots tighter.”

Sirius had taught him that.

The man had drilled many things into Harry over the years of what to do should the worst happen and he found himself in the most unpleasant of situations.

Harry had always believed his godfather to be paranoid, but right now, he was pleased for the lessons and would not take them for granted again.

“Stay calm,” he urged. “Who is closest to me?”

“Me,” Olivia answered.

“Okay, follow my voice and shuffle your way over, I’ll be able to untie you.”

He hear her doing so and felt the girl bump into him a moment later.

“Good,” Harry praised. “Just hold still. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He managed to slide his wand into his hand and used the other to find Olivia’s bindings before resting the tip of it against them. Focusing his magic as Sirius had taught him, Harry manipulated the knot until it came loose, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll get yours for you,” Olivia whispered.

Hary as free only a moment later, and he stood to remove his blindfold, only to find that there was still no light.

“Lumos,” he muttered, holding his wand aloft.

There were no windows, and only one door that was around ten feet above where the rest of the first years were lying, waiting to be released.

Knowing he could not reach the door, Harry helped Olivia untie the others, and they too lit their wands.

When they were all freed, he pondered what to do before chuckling humourlessly to himself.

“What’s so funny, Potter?” one of the others asked.

“Well, we can try to levitate one of the others up to the door to open it, but that’s risky,” he explained. “We’d be better off making a pyramid and one of us can climb up to open it.”

“I’m not opening that door.”

“Me either. We don’t know what is behind it.”

“I’ll open it,” Harry huffed, “just get me up there.”

It took some time, but collectively, they managed to stack themselves high enough for Harry to scramble up to reach the door handle. Pulling it, the door opened inwards, and he found himself looking at the wide grin of Adrian Grave.

“I knew you would figure it out quickly! Did you see that, Wilkinson. You owe me five Galleons.”

The other prefect rolled her eyes at Adrian as he pulled the confused Harry out of the room.

“What the hell was that?”

“Just an initiation,” Adrian said dismissively. “Each of the houses have their own. Yours was a test to see how you would cope in a stressful situation, and you did so admirably.”

“You jerk!” Olivia growled, thumping Adrian on the shoulder.

The older boy chuckled as he winced, nodding approvingly.

“You’ve got quite the arm on you.”

“And they did better than us, didn’t they, Adrian?” Alexandra asked.

Adrian’s ears turned red, and he muttered something about not crying.

“He cried?” Olivia asked.

“No, but he almost did. Better than Jenkins though. He wet himself.”

“Well, I don’t think any of us did,” Harry sighed tiredly.

“Because you took the lead and controlled the situation,” Adrian pointed out. “You kept them calm and led them.”

“It was all of us that got us out.”

“Exactly,” Adrian agreed. “You took stock of what you faced, found a way to free yourselves, and worked together to escape. You all played your parts and did so brilliantly. Now, we’d best get you to bed. Like Fontaine said, you have a long day ahead of you.”

Harry and the first years followed the prefects.

“You did well, Harry,” Olivia offered, squeezing his hand.

“I’m just wondering what the other houses did. Wait, did you slip a potion into our pumpkin juice?”

“Just a mild sleeping potion,” Adrian assured him. “I bet you won’t take another sip of anything without checking it first,” he added with a grin.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the prefect’s back as a grin tugged at his lips.

“No, and you shouldn’t either,” he muttered.

“What’re you planning?” Olivia whispered.

“Oh, just a little surprise for our house leaders,” Harry answered dismissively.

“Well, I want in,” the girl demanded.

“Then we have some work to do before we sleep.”

(Break)

Sirius watched as Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

She had been waiting for Harry to write since they’d returned several hours prior, her eyes barely leaving the box that she had charmed so that there was no delay between their missives.

She was worried about him, and rightly so, but the woman had become more than a little overprotective of the boy, who Sirius knew was much like he and James had been when they were younger.

Harry was a natural explorer, and now that he wasn’t under the constant gaze of his well-meaning mother, Sirius did not doubt that he would begin to spread his wings.

Not that Lily was a bad mother.

On the contrary, Sirius would’ve loved to have someone in his own family that had shown him such care and attention, that took so much time to teach him as Lily had with Harry over the years.

“What is it?” he asked as the woman huffed.

“Three of the totems wanted Harry in their house.”

Sirius chuckled as he shook his head.

“Does that really surprise you? Come on, Lily, he has the best of both of you in him.”

“And the worst,” Lily snorted. “Do not think I missed you covering for him all these years, Sirius Black. I am neither blind nor stupid.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sirius denied.

Lily hummed before deflating.

“I’m just worried about him. Harry has never been in the world alone before.”

“And it is something he has to get used to. You remember how quickly our time at Hogwarts passed. It will be the same for him, and it will be good for him to be able to stand on his own two feet. He must be ready, Lily. You know as well as I do that he is going to take his seat on the Wizengamot, and maybe even mine too if I can convince him. Being at school is just the beginning of it. He has enemies out there, likely more than we even know of, and the only way he is going to be ready for that is if we ensure he is.”

“I know.”

“Then let me prepare him.”

“You already are. You always teach him things about politics and how the Wizengamot works.”

“That’s the easy stuff,” Sirius said dismissively. “As my grandfather said, you need only be confident, relentless, and stubborn. Harry is all of those things, and by the time he takes his seat, even more so.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Everything else,” Sirius sighed. “In the Wizengamot chambers, he will be safe, but outside of that room is another matter entirely. It is a much different world amongst the purebloods, who are a law unto themselves. Harry must be ready for that. Those that supported him might try to kill him, or worse yet…”

Lily shook her head and held up a hand.

“I can’t think about that right now.”

“You can’t avoid it forever, and if Harry gets any inclination that he is still out there, what do you think he is going to do? I know him, Lily. Don’t get me wrong, he is like both you and James, but I see a lot of his grandfather and even my own in him. He has both Black and Potter blood in him. He will not let what happened lie. You’ve seen how he is. When he is older and feels capable…”

“I know, Sirius!” Lily snapped. “Don’t you think I know what he will do? That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I don’t like it either, but it is something we have to be prepared for, something Harry needs to be prepared for, and I would see him live by whatever means he has at his disposal.”

Lily frowned at him.

“What’re you planning?”

“Nothing,” Sirius assured her. “Nothing beyond seeing him ready.”

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him as he removed the shrunken trunk he kept with him at all times. Resizing it with a flick of his wand, he opened the lid before gesturing for Lily to climb in.

“What is this?” she asked as he descended.

“The Black library. Every spell, curse, and piece of magic that the Blacks have invented or accumulated over the years, and then some. I’ve been adding to it this past decade.”

Lily grimaced as she picked up one of the books, and Sirius could almost see her mind adding everything together.

“This is why you’ve had him studying the Mind Arts,” she said accusingly.

“No,” Sirius denied. “When Harry succeeds me…”

“If Harry succeeds you,” Lily corrected. “You might decide you are going to settle down and marry one day.”

“Fine, if he succeeds me, he will need be privy to some of the best and worst kept secrets of magical Britain. He will need the Mind Arts for that alone, but learning them can only benefit him, Lily. As can learning all of this, even if it is just how to defend himself from it. You saw what happened during the war, how piss poor we were at fighting the Death Eaters because our hands were tied behind our backs for most of it.”

“That didn’t stop you or James. I remember what you did to Mulciber, Nott, and Yaxley.”

“Did they not deserve it? Wouldn’t they have done the same to us?”

“They would have,” Lily agreed reluctantly.

“And they will do the same to Harry if given the chance,” Sirius pointed out. “I do not like it, Lily, no more than you do, but the best way to protect Harry is by teaching him how to protect himself. I know you do not like this kind of magic, but it is the reality of the world we live in. Charlus and my grandfather survived the war against Grindelwald because of all of this, and everything else Charlus brought to the table. Harry will have all of it at his disposal, and I bloody well hope he never has need of it, but it is better that he has it than not.”

Lily wiped away a tear as she nodded.

“I know, Sirius,” she whispered sadly. “I just wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“As do I, but I’ll be damned if we lose him,” he murmured. “I will begin teaching him when he returns home for the summer. Let him find his feet first at school.”

Lily merely nodded in response before leaving the trunk, and Sirius deflated.

He truly did wish that none of this was necessary, but he could not help but think it would be.

Harry vividly remembered what happened that night, and that was not good for one who would not be able to let what happened go.

Sirius couldn’t either, and he knew that deep down, Lily felt the same.

She was torn between her righteous anger at what had been done to her husband, and the fear she had for what might happen to Harry.

Sirius understood that, but he also understood his godson.

Harry James Potter was not someone that would be able to live his life with such a thing hanging over him, not when he believed he could do something to right that wrong.

(Break)

Harry yawned as he helped himself to some of the fruit from the bowl in front of him, and scowled as Olivia took the banana he’d just peeled from his hand.

“Oi!” he complained.

The girl took a bite before handing it back, offering him a smile.

“Thanks, Harry. You saved me having to peel one for myself.”

He stared at his besmirched fruit forlornly.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“You can always have it back if you really want it, but you’ll have to give me a minute.”

Harry grimaced and shook his head.

“It’s all yours.”

Olivia offered him another smile, her eyes filling with mirth as Adrian and Alexandra entered the Great Hall and sat only a short distance away from them, in their designated prefect seats.

“You’ll give it away if you keep looking so happy like that.”

Olivia busied herself with a slice of toast, that Harry snatched from her as she finished buttering it.

“Do not even think about taking a bite of that!”

The two of them stared at one another for a moment before Harry relented.

“I’ll be the bigger person,” he decided, puffing himself up as he returned it.

Olivia took a bite and scowled at him, wincing as a gentle explosion shook the table.

Alexandra squealed in surprise as her front teeth began to elongate, and her eyes widened when she realised she now had rabbit ears.

Harry did his utmost to hide his amusement, but almost lost his composure when Adrian squeaked as he grasped at his whiskers, twitching nose, and mouse ears.

“Who did this?” he demanded to know, his gaze sweeping up and down the length of the table.

Those within the Great Hall burst into peals of laughter at the sight of the duo, and Harry allowed himself a grin of satisfaction, though it fell as Adrain looked directly at him.

“Did you have something to do with this?” he asked accusingly.

Harry shook his head innocently.

“It’s only my first day here.”

It was a flimsy excuse at best, but it seemed to work, and Adrian’s gaze searched along the rest of their peers until he Professor Clarke approached from the staff table.

“Alright Graves, Wilkinson, best get to the medical wing and get that fixed,” she instructed.

The two prefects did so whilst the other students continued to laugh at their misfortune, and Olivia gave Harry’s hand a congratulatory squeeze under the table.

“Now, let me see, schedules for the first years,” Professor Clarke mused aloud, removed a stack of parchment from within her robes. “Ah, he we go. For the first two years, you will have your classes together and follow the same programme,” she explained. “At the end of your second year is when we will discuss choosing your electives, depending on your performance and recommendations from your professors. Any questions?”

“How do we find the classrooms?” one of the students asked.

“There is a map on the back of your schedule, but do not worry. I will be teaching you first and we can take some time to cover anything else you need to know. We will also meet this evening for something of an orientation. Just do your best for today. Best eat up. I do not tolerate tardiness.”

They began tucking into their meals with gusto, but Professor Clarke remained where she was.

“Take two points each for your creative use of magic and potions,” she whispered conspiratorially. “But do not make a habit of it. Understood?”

Neither Harry nor Olivia said anything, choosing to focus on their breakfast instead, and Professor Clarke left them to it, an amused smirk tugging at her lips.

“Well, at least our prefects now have nicknames,” Harry pointed out.

“Bunny and Mouse?”

“Bunny and Mouse,” he chortled.

(Break)

“His absence has been noticed,” Minerva commented as she took a seat on the opposite side of the desk. “There are many disappointed students who were hoping to meet him.”

“Then perhaps it is for the best that he is not here,” Severus snarked. “This is a school not a meet and greet.”

“I expect that it will all blow over soon enough. There will be those that will likely make assumptions, and others that will seek the truth, but both of those are out of our hands,” Albus broke in. “Harry Potter would just have been another student.”

“We all know that is not true,” Minerva sighed. “He would’ve been tested by those that believe they have something to prove and preyed upon by those hoping to gain something from him. He would not have been just any other student, Albus. Not a day would’ve gone by that he would’ve been allowed to be.”

The headmaster nodded thoughtfully.

“Perhaps, but if anything, it will only draw more attention to him when he does return to Britain.”

“If he returns to Britain.”

“Oh, I have no doubt he will,” Albus said knowingly. “In just a few short years, Minerva, he will be of age and will undoubtedly take up his seat on the Wizengamot.”

“As the Lord Potter and Black if Black has his way,” Severus grumbled. “That is all we need, a Potter with the power of two great houses behind him.”

He stormed from the room with his robes billowing behind him, and Albus shook his head.

“I think there is a part of him that is disappointed that young Harry is not here,” Albus mused aloud.

Minerva shook her head.

“Severus would’ve done all he could to make that boys’ life hell simply because who is father is.”

“And I would have hoped not because of who his mother is.”

Minerva pursed her lips in response, choosing not to speak her thoughts on the matter.

“Give it time,” Albus urged. “The students will soon find something else to focus on other than their wayward peer.”

(Break)

“Alright, settle down, settle down,” Professor Clarke instructed as she entered the classroom.

The first year Wampus students did so immediately.

Although the woman had been nothing but welcoming since they’d arrived, Harry suspected it would not be wise to get on the wrong side of their Head of Year.

Her mere presence commanded respect, but her smile still set them at ease.

“As I explained to you very briefly at breakfast, I will be your Charms professor and the Head of House for you throughout your time here. The latter can wait until this evening, unless there are any pressing questions?”

When none spoke, the woman nodded before flicking her wand towards the blackboard.

“What are Charms?” she asked.

There was none among them who raised their hand to offer an answer, and Professor Clarke’s gaze roamed over them.

“At this point in your education, there is no answer you can give that will give me cause for concern. This is your very first lesson, after all. Mr Potter, will you humour me?”

Harry frowned as he pondered the question and shook his head.

“Charms are types of spells that can add things to objects or creatures and even change their behaviour without changing its nature.”

“But?” Professor Clarke pressed curiously. “You seem as though you want to say something else.”

“It’s just a simple answer for a more complicated question, that’s all.”

Professor Clarke nodded.

“It is the answer I was looking for, Mr Potter, but humour me further. What else would you say?”

“Well, you asked what Charms are, which I answered, but I found it easier to understand when I thought of it as what is the study of Charms.”

Professor Clarke quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Now, that is a more complex question,” she mused aloud. “We will come back to it, but for now, I thought that we would delve into a little practical magic to give you an idea of what is to come. I would like for you all to work in your pairs and take turns in changing the colour of the cubes you will find in front of you.”

She waved her wand, and each pair found what they needed materialise in front of them.

“Instructions for the charm are on page seven of your textbooks.”

She watched closely as the students set to work, and Harry drew his wand as he retrieved his textbook from his bag. He’d already absorbed everything he could before he’d arrived at the school, but it wouldn’t hurt to revisit it.

“Why won’t it work?” Olivia huffed irritably, repeatedly tapping the wood with her wand.

“It won’t if you’re angry,” Harry chuckled. “If anything, you’re just going to…”

He ducked as the block of wood exploded, pulling the irate girl to the ground with him.

Olivia was breathing heavily, her eyes wide as they stood, only to be greeted by the sight of the stern Professor Clarke, who shook her head.

“Allowing your anger to get the better of you will only hinder your efforts. Take a breath, Miss Parker, and try again.”

Olivia nodded and narrowed her eyes at Harry as he stifled a laugh.

It wasn’t that the situation was particularly funny, but her expression of horror had amused him.

“Shut up, Harry,” she muttered. “Why don’t you do it?”

“Fine,” Harry agreed, aiming his wand towards the cube.

Focusing on it the way his mother had taught him, he took a deep breath, remembering her instructions.

“For simple charms, it is mostly a matter of intent and focusing on the object. If you can do that well enough, you will find that wand movements and incantations are not necessary and will only distract you from what you are trying to achieve. Focus, Harry, and let your mind and magic do the work for you.”

It had taken him days of practice, and under his mother’s guidance, he had managed to levitate the egg off the kitchen table and even hold it there for several seconds before it had fallen.

Harry had known it at the time, but his mother had been only trying to get him to feel how such magic worked within himself so that he could apply it more readily.

It had worked, and though he was still having to practice regularly, it was something he was getting better at, and prolonged focus, such as levitation, was certainly much more difficult than a spell that only needed his focus so briefly to achieve what he wished to.

“Very good, Mr Potter,” Professor Clarke praised as the wood shifted from its natural light brown to a vibrant. “Do you think you can choose what colour you change it to?”

Harry nodded.

“Then try to match it to the colour of your robes,” Professor Clarke instructed.

Harry’s gaze shifted to the rather vibrant, royal blue of his robes before he focused once more and made the requested change.

“Now green,” Professor Clarke pushed.

Harry did as he was bid, and then continued with yellow, purple, and finally orange, turning the wood back to its natural colour when he was done.

Professor Clarke said nothing but offered him a nod before she moved along to help the other students.

“How did you do that?” Olivia asked.

“It’s mostly just being able to focus,” Harry explained with a shrug.

That was the best he could do to make her understand, but the girl seemed confused as she continued with her own efforts, not allowing her irritation to get the better of her.

“Don’t rush it,” Harry encouraged her. “Close your eyes and really think about the colour you want it to be. When you can see it clearly, then cast the spell.”

Olivia nodded before closing her eyes.

She remained unmoving for several moments before murmuring the incantation, and Harry beamed happily.

“You did it!”

“I did?”

She opened her eyes and squealed in delight at the pink cube, almost choking him as she threw her arms around his neck.

Harry flushed as the other students stared at them, but Olivia was either oblivious to it, or she didn’t care. She was too busy enjoying her success.

“Miss Parker, please unhand Mr Potter, he is turning a rather impressive shade,” Professor Clarke sighed.

“Sorry,” Olivia murmured embarrassedly as she released him.

Harry waved her off as he rubbed his neck.

“That will be all for today and well done to you. Our work will continue, but for now, you have a Transfiguration lesson to attend. Mr Potter, please remain behind.”

He did so whilst the others packed their things into their bags and made their way towards the door, leaving Harry with the Charms professor.

“Where did you learn to use your magic like that?”

“My mother,” Harry answered with a fond smile. “She is brilliant at Charms and would’ve finished her Mastery if it wasn’t for the war and falling pregnant with me.”

Professor Clarke nodded.

“Well, I do not doubt that your mother is a brilliant witch, Harry, but what you demonstrated is an incredible grasp of focus and control of your magic for one your age. That came from you. You already demonstrated why three of the school totems chose you, and now you have demonstrated something truly exceptional. What you just did is something I wouldn’t expect to see from a student until their fourth or fifth year, a skill that comes with experience and mature magic.”

Harry didn’t know what to say in response, and Professor Clarke offered him an encouraging smile.

“There will be many watching you, Harry, not for your fame, but because of how uncommon what happened during your sorting is. You have now given me another reason to do so. Now, if you do not hurry, you will be late for your lesson with Professor Bale.”

He nodded as he slung his bag over his shoulder and left the room, only to bump into a group of girls as he stepped into the corridor.

“Sorry,” he offered sincerely as he helped one up he’d knocked to the ground.

“Idiot” she huffed as she dusted off her robes. “You should watch where you’re going.”

“Yeah, you should too,” Harry returned, shaking his head as he continued on his way, not noticing the brown eyes that narrowed at him, watching as he made his way to his next class of the day.