A deathly silence filled the halls of White Oak Manor. The houses grand halls often found themselves empty as few visitors were ever granted access through the ancient wards that guarded the property. Those who were allowed access knew to prepare themselves as many were often overwhelmed by the stench of magic that dripped from every brick that had been laid to build the home.
One who found the overwhelming magic comforting was young Harrison Black. In his fifteen years, he had lived with the ancestral magic that strengthens the wards for eleven years. They had kept him safe, and it was the only place he truly ever let down his guard; even during his school years at Hogwarts, he had never been able to completely relax.
White Oak Manor had been apart of the Black family for generations. The stories his grandfather had told him indicated that the manor was built by the very first generations of Black and that every generation since had given a piece of their magic to the wards to ensure that the following generations would always have a place to call home.
Harry and his father, Sirius, had moved into the manor after Harry had a run-in with a dark wizard when he was only four. And while his parents had firmly believed that Harvey had actually been the intended target on that fateful night, Sirius had decided to raise his son in the safest place he knew.
It had undoubtedly been a safe place to grow up; Harry had also found that it was an exciting and knowledge filled place. The library was a beautiful room filled with rows of books, so many that Harry doubted even he could read them all in his lifetime; there were rooms upon rooms with secrets that Harry enjoyed discovering about magic and also his heritage. His home had fuelled his thrust for knowledge, and so had his desire to protect his little brother.
When they were young, Harry had a burning desire to protect Harvey. Even as a teenager, he could remember the protective instincts that he had for Harvey, and he had promised his mum when he was five that nothing would ever hurt Harvey. But as he grew, Harry was put to the side by his mum. Lily never ignored Harry or abandoned him; she was a great mum who Harry adored. Still, Harvey was always the one who needed protecting. Harvey came first.
Harry had felt that he wasn’t able to be a child as he had to grow up fast and take care of Harvey; he can’t cry because Harvey needs him to be strong; he had to put Harvey first above everyone else.
And Harry’s feelings of protectiveness and love for his younger brother turned into resentment. He watched as Harvey had everything Harry wanted. His parents, married and in love, raising him together. A careful hand to guide him and encourage him. A mother who was there every single day.
His grandparents and father always encouraged him and loved him; his Godfather, Remus Lupin, was a kind man who had always been there for him too. But nothing could replace the missing aspect of his mum.
Instead of throwing a tantrum and letting his emotions get the better of him, he did what Blacks did best. He buried it. Harrison pushed his feelings down as deep as he could and took to avoiding Harvey Potter and the whole situation as much as he could.
Hogwarts had been a grateful change of scenery. With a different surname, no one knew that Harrison was the elder brother of the boy who lived. He was sorted into Ravenclaw, made friends and was able to pretend that Harvey wasn’t a problem, but it was only a temporary solution.
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Harry sat in the library at White Oak Manor with a failed potion mixture in one hand, a quill in the other, and his notebook on his lap. He had spent his morning attempting to brew a water breathing potion. He had spent many hours on it over the summer after Professor Snape had challenged him to the task.
The Water breathing potion that anyone could make was a simple second-year potion. It lasted for a total of thirty minutes but provided no other assistance when it came to exploring the underwater world. Professor Snape, however, had brewed his own version that would give additional properties. The drinker could remain under the water for up to an hour, water pressure was no issue unless they were to go down more than a thousand feet—mind you that hadn’t been proven, Snape knew that no one would be willing to go that deep and find out—and your eyesight could also adapt to however dark the water was.
Harry hadn’t thought that recreating the potion would be as tricky as it had been. Snape had given him a vial to run tests on, but he had forbidden Harry from using any spells to identify ingredients he couldn’t detect himself. Snape had insisted that the challenge was to help Harry improve even more while also enjoying watching the young man squirm. Harry enjoyed the challenge and was keen to complete the task and return to Hogwarts successful.
The relationship between student and professor had surprised many; Sirius had warned his son that Snape hated him. He believed that due to Harrison lineage, the potion master would treat him the same way. His first potions class had started out as Sirius had warned; as soon as they were seated and Snape met his eyes, he threw rapid-fire potion questions at him, some advanced enough that unless they were fifth-year students and up, they would have no idea what the man was talking about.
Harrison was proud that his potion knowledge had surprised the Potions Master enough that he had practically ignored him for the remainder of the class. At the end of class, Snape kicked the students out, but Harrison stopped to speak to the man. There was no doubt that the scowl on the man’s face, as he noticed Harry standing in the centre of the room, would make any grown man piss himself, but it did nothing to the boy. He stood tall and said, “You may hate my father, and your relationship with my mother may be a difficult one, but I am not my parents. Do not treat me as anything other than another Ravenclaw.”
Snape had called him out for his insolence and pig-headedness, and the next month continued on the same as their very first class had gone. However, with every new potion and every question Snape through at Harrison, he impressed the man. And just before Harry returned home for his first Christmas, the Potions Master apologised to Harrison for his behaviour and agreed to a truce.
Both Sirius and Lily had practically fallen over when Harrison told them of the man’s change of heart, but it seemed to be a step forward to Lily wanting to repair her friendship with the man too.
Now with Harrison’s fifth year about to begin, he was well-versed in potions enough that Snape believed he was ready to apply for an apprenticeship. He was well above any O.W.L.S or N.E.W.T.S level testing, and instead of wasting his time doing studies that he didn’t require, plans had been put in motion to begin the apprenticeship while finishing his schooling at Hogwarts. Hence the additional summer potions challenge Snape had given him.
Harry frowned at the potion and let out a groan. He was getting extremely frustrated. There was only one ingredient that he needed, but he had no idea what it was. Twice Harry had almost cracked and contacted Snape, but he had refused to give in. Failing would mean no apprenticeship, and that wasn’t an option.
He snapped his notebook shut and stood up from the chair. He had spent the whole morning with his nose buried in his notes; he needed to stretch and take his mind off the potion for a while.
Harry walked out of the library and frowned when he spotted one of the house-elves peering around a corner. The house-elf in question was Dobby. He did not work for the Black’s but the Malfoy’s, and it was strange that the creature was sneaking around. Harry approached the elf and stopped a few feet from him; clearing his throat, he couldn’t help but chuckle as the elf screeched in surprise and spun around to face him.
“Mr Harry, sir. I am sorry, sir. Dobby did not know you were here, sir.” The elf bowed.
Harry frowned. “Why are you here, Dobby?”
The elf peered around the corner again and then back at Harry. “Dobby was sent by Master Malfoy to speak with Mr Black regarding private matters, sir.” The elf seemed to gulp and shrink into himself.
“Then why haven’t you found my father?” he asked.
Dobby seemed to blush. “Dobby tried, sir; he popped into Mr Black’s office and realised his mistake when he saw Mr Black with a naked woman.” The elf covered his eyes. “Dobby is sorry for interrupting Mr Black’s privacy, and Dobby was just going to wait until Mr Black is no longer busy.”
Harry frowned. His father was the head of the Black family, his grandfather had handed the reigns over to him when Harry was ten, and for the past few years, he had managed to do well for himself and the family, but he had yet to leave his perversions behind.
“Did Lucius say if you could relay the information to myself?” Harry asked. There was no need for the elf to hang around; he had no doubt other things to do than to wait for Sirius to finish with his lady friend.
“Master Malfoy did not say Dobby could not,” said Dobby.
Harry sighed. “Good, tell me, and I will pass it on.”
Dobby clicked his fingers, and a letter appeared in Harry’s hands. It was sealed with Malfoy’s stamp and urgent stamped on the from.
“Thank you, Dobby,” said Harry. “Return home; I will make sure my father responds promptly.”
Dobby bowed. “Yes, Mr Harry.” The elf disappeared with a pop.
Harry eyed the envelope, and his curiosity peeked as he examined it. Many things could be detailed inside, and while Sirius was very open with the ongoings of the family with Harry, there were somethings that, according to not only Sirius but his grandfather that he was too young to be concerned with. It sounded like nonsense to Harry, and he would always look for opportunities to find out.
However, today wasn’t one of those. Harry headed down the hall that led to Sirius’ office. He could hear a faint giggle come from the other side. It wasn’t the first time Sirius had female friends, as Remus referred to them, in his office. His father seemed to be under the illusions that Harry was blind and death, to what happened behind the doors, but you see one naked woman you have seen them all. So, Harry knocked once and pushed the door open.
Sirius cried in shock, and the woman who was sitting naked on the desk wrapped her arms around her chest.
Harry glared at his father. “You couldn’t wait until I was back at Hogwarts for your perverted actions?”
Sirius cringed and scratched the back of his head. “I was hoping you were too consumed by your potion to leave your lab.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Father, you are a wonder sometimes. How did you end up with full custody again?”
Sirius’s stunned expression darkened, and he stood from his chair. He grabbed the woman’s dress from the floor and handed it to her so that she could cover herself. “That is unnecessary, Harrison.”
Harry met his father’s gaze and held up the letter. “Malfoy sent you this; he wants an immediate response.” With a flick of his wrist, Harry sent the letter soring through the air and onto the desk beside the naked woman’s thigh. “You may want to include an apology for mentally scaring his elf and taking so long.”
Sirius straightened his coat and said to the woman. “I apologise my dear. Would you mind giving us a moment?”
The woman nodded. Now dressed, she said, “I’ll just be outside.” She offered an awkward smile at Harry and pulled the door shut behind her.
“That cheek is not appreciated, young man,” said Sirius.
“Your immaturity isn’t appreciated either, old man,” Harry snapped back.
Sirius marched around the desk and pointed his finger. “Enough. You will speak to your father with respect, and you will also treat any guests that I bring into my own home with respect.”
Harry went to snap back at his father again but was stopped.
“Why is it that you two argue more like brother’s then father and son?”
Both Black men turned to face Lily. She stood in the doorway, her red hair tied up in a messy bun—a shorter version of James standing beside her.
“Lily,” said Sirius. “You’re early.”
Lily shook her head. “No, it’s twelve-thirty. You both are late.”
“Yeah, you’re late. We need to go and buy stuff for Hogwarts!” cried Harvey. He bounced on the spot and a bright grin on his face. “Dad is meeting us there, so let’s go.”
Harry frowned and stalked past them, out of his father’s office, past the woman who had minutes before been naked on the desk, and down the hall towards the main staircase. He had argued with both his parents since the Hogwarts letter’s arrived last fortnight that he had no interest in pretending to be a happy family. Walking through Diagon Alley with Harvey was difficult enough when it was just Lily with both of them, but James and his father would make it even more horrid.
“Harry!” Lily called after him.
He climbed the stairs and only stopped when she called after him again.
“Harrison! Don’t walk away from me when I am calling you.”
Harry stopped and turned around.
“Where are you going?” Lily asked.
“To my lab. I have a potion to finish.” He had wanted to spend some time out of the lab, but he wanted any excuse to avoid this outing.
“That can wait. It is Harvey’s first year, and we are all going to get both of you boys your supplies.” Lily climbed the steps and smiled at him as they came face to face. “You really need to stop growing; I feel short.” Lily reached up and pushed a few stray hairs out of his eyes.
“I have no desire to go to Diagon Alley today,” said Harry.
Lily sighed. “Why?”
“You know why.”
“You are overdramatic.” Lily crossed her arms. “Most people don’t even notice Harvey unless they hear the surname.”
Harry shook his head. This didn’t seem to be something he could get out of. “Why must we all go together? I’m not a child; I don’t need you and father to hold my hand and walk me around Diagon Alley.”
Lily dropped her arms.
Harry watched as his mother’s eyes grew sad and defeated. He didn’t think any comment would have changed her mind, but apparently, he had found the right one. There had been many things that Lily had missed in Harry’s life; she often commented on how much he had changed since they last spoke or was surprised when he did a spell or made a potion. It was because of Harvey; they both knew that. And while Harry resented his half brother for taking away his mother, he would never blame her.
“Very well,” said Lily. “If you change your mind, you know where we will be.” She turned and walked back down the stairs.
Harry watched and felt the guilt set in as Lily stopped at the bottom, turned back and offered him a smile, her eyes still sad.
She said, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Harry turned and continued his march back towards the potion’s lab. He had hurt his mother’s feelings and couldn’t push down the nagging voice telling him that he was an asshole. The thought of turning back and just sucking up the family outing crossed his mind, but he shook it away before it could take hold; in his new sour mood, he would only make things worse.
In his potions lab, two copper cauldrons sat bubbling away. After his last failed attempt, Harry had jumped in to try another two different ingredient options. He placed his notebook down on the bench and rolled up his sleeves.
The door to the lab swung open, and Sirius marched in. “No more brewing. Get your ass downstairs; we are going to Diagon Alley!”
Harry placed both of his hands, palm down, on the bench. “I already told mum, I’m not going. There is no reason for me to go.”
Sirius glared at Harry. It was a particular glare that Harry had learned was a mix of disappointment, anger and frustration.
“The only reason there needs to be is that your mother asked you!” Sirius yelled, “So, get your shit and march your ass back to the entrance hall.” He turned and walked back through the door and said over his shoulder, “And if you aren’t downstairs in five minutes, I will be taking away your wand and locking the lab until the end of the summer. Now move it.”
Harry closed his eyes and clenched his fingers. His father didn’t use his parenting voice often, but he knew by the tone that Sirius was serious. The next few weeks would be horrid without his wand and access to the lab, and the one thing his father knew how to do better than any other parents was lay on the guilt.
With a wave of his wand, a slam on his hands on the benchtop, Harry rolled his sleeves back down, summoned his jacket and walked back downstairs.
Lily stood near the front door with Harvey beside her. She fiddled with the boy’s hair, trying to flatten it with her hand. Sirius stood beside them, adjusting his own coat. Harry didn’t speak, he could feel his teenage emotions bubbling inside, and if he did speak, he would be unable to control the words the came out. He stopped beside his father and slid his hands into his jacket’s pockets.
“Thank you for joining us,” said Sirius.
Harry’s mouth responded before his brain could catch up. “Is your lady friend not coming?”
Sirius glared. “Your already on thin ice, Harrison.”
Lily cleared her throat. “Enough, please. Both of you.”
Reaching out her hand, she grabbed Harry’s arm and made sure that Harvey was holding onto her. She smiled and nodded at Sirius.
“Alright, hold on.”
Sirius grabbed Harrison’s other arm and apparated them to Diagon Alley. The world around them twisted and rushed by in a blur, their bodies twisted and stretched until they were dropped harshly back onto the cobblestone road of Diagon Alley’s apparition point.
Harry caught himself, stumbling slightly but balancing himself. Harvey, however, slipped and fell back on his bum.
He laughed and said, “I always fall over.”
Lily smiled at her son and held out her hand to help him up. “You will get there one day.”
“That you will.”
The group of four turned to see James. Harvey ran over to him and hugged him.
“Hi, dad,” he said.
James squeezed him back. “Hey bud, you ready to get your wand!”
Harvey nodded excitedly. “Am I ever!”
Harry kept himself from rolling his eyes. He wanted this over and quickly.
Lily and James both grabbed one of Harvey’s hands and headed towards the central lane of the Alley. Sirius followed just behind them and stopped to frown at Harry when he noticed his son not following. Harry shoved his hands deeper into his coat’s pocket before trailing after them.
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Two hours later and Harry was at his breaking point. He had suffered through twenty minutes of Harvey trying so many different wands the Olivanders had boxes and wands everywhere by the time they found it. It had taken thirty minutes for both of the boys to get measured for their robes, and Harvey spent the whole time going on about the fact that he would be in Gryffindor. The buying of all of the other bits and bobs just went on and on.
Harry was desperate for it to be over as they arrived at Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harvey dashed through the door with James right behind him, Sirius followed too, but Harry stopped. He wasn’t going to stand around the shop while they talked about Quidditch—don’t get Harry wrong, he loved Quidditch and was the seeker for Ravenclaw—but he had better things to do.
Lily stopped in the doorway as she noticed Harry hanging back. She walked back over to him and said, “I know this is difficult for you.”
Harry dropped his head. “I don’t know if difficult is the right word.”
“I suppose, like any mother, I just want my family to be happy.”
Harry understood that. All he had wanted his whole life was to have his mum with him. Having her tuck him in every night and be there in the morning when he woke up. It was the little things that he had missed.
“We aren’t a normal family,” said Harry.
Lily nodded. “No, that we aren’t.” Lily reached up to push a few stray hairs away from his eyes. “You can go ahead and get your books if you like. Harvey and James could take forever, and I know you want to get back to your potion.”
Harry smiled. “You sure?”
She nodded.
Harry hugged his mum. “Thank you.”
Lily smiled against his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
Harry left Lily at the Quidditch shop and walked down to Flourish and Blotts. It was always the busiest bookshop. Pulling his Hogwarts letter from his pocket, he checked the list before walking in and collecting what he needed. It took him no more than fifteen minutes to find every book, and the others were nowhere in sight, and while he wanted to go home, he didn’t mind wandering through a book shop. Harry walked to the back where they kept all potion related books, and he tried to find something that would pique his interest; the annoying thing was that he usually found nothing. Between Snape and the books in the library at home, there wasn’t much else he could find that was new and exciting.
Harry ran his finger over a few different spines; there weren’t many things that really challenged him from the standard potion books anymore. Snape had been providing him with handwritten potions to try and also encouraging him to experiment. He pulled out a few different books, flicking through them before putting them back. Harry had pulled out a copy of a book called ‘Potions for Emotions’ when a ball of fuzzy brown hair ran into him. He dropped the books under his arm and turned to glare at the child that he hit him.
“I’m so sorry,” said the girl.
She was hidden beneath a mess of fuzzy brown hair that was chaotically tied up in a ponytail. She had on a pair of blue denim jeans and a yellow top that was splashed with some weird saying. The girl glanced up, her cheeks flushed, and a piece of parchment in her hand. “I was distracted.”
Harry wanted to be annoyed at her, but he could see the parchment held the Hogwarts symbol and her clothes screamed muggle. The poor girl was no doubt a muggleborn about to start her first year and was a little flustered.
He offered her a kind smile and said, “I suppose for a muggleborn like yourself, everything would be distracting.”
The girl nodded and knelt to pick up the books Harry had dropped. “Is it that obvious?” she asked.
Harry smirked. “Your clothing and the Hogwarts letter gave it away.”
The girl bit her lip and tried to push the frizzy hair from her eyes. “Do you go to Hogwarts?”
Harry nodded. “In my fifth year.”
“At least there will be one familiar face. My name’s Hermione, by the way, Hermione Granger.” She held out her hand.
Harry shook her hand. “Harrison Black, but you can call me Harry.”
“Hermione, do you have everything?” a woman’s voice called over the shelves.
“Yeah, mum. Coming!” Hermione glanced over her shoulder and then back at Harry. “Sorry again. Bye.” She dashed off, leaving Harry amused.
“Little young for you, Black.”
Harry smiled and turned around to smile at Carlisle Malfoy, who was his closet friend as well as a cousin. The blonde-haired Malfoy had introduced himself to Harry at a family gathering, where Blacks of all relation came together to celebrate something Harry had attended with his father. He had been attempting to hide from the strangers in the room when Carlisle had spotted him and taken his shyness for weakness; with the Malfoy smirk plastered on his face, Carlisle strutted over and mocked Harry. Harry’s reaction had been to simply punch the eldest Malfoy in the face, hard, knocking him over with blood gushing from his nose.
Both received a fierce yelling from Narcissa Malfoy and were forced to play nice. Neither of them knew that it was the start of their wonderful friend.
“I thought she would be more suitable for you, Malfoy.”
Carlisle laughed. He ran his fingers through his combed back blonde hair and clapped his hand onto Harry’s shoulder.
“I feel like Amelia wouldn’t take too kindly to any competition, including an eleven-year-old,” said Carlisle.
Harry said, “Amelia wouldn’t be too concerned. We all know that she has you trained perfectly.” He dogged a swing from Carlisle and laughed as he glanced back at the books in front of him.
“Laugh it up, Black. But there will be a day when a woman has you trained up too.”
Harry didn’t see it. There had only been one girl he had ever felt the slightest attraction to, but that had quickly faded after the girl opened her mouth, and Harry became aware of how utterly dim-witted she was.
“Unless you have finally come to terms with your sexuality and are going to admit your feelings for Snape!” Carlisle grinned widely at him.
Harry shook his head. “I still don’t understand why Amelia puts up with you.” He turned and headed towards the front to pay.
Carlisle followed, laughing. “Me either.”
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Lily stood near the entrance of Flourish and Blotts, watching Harry stand beside Carlisle Malfoy. The friendship between the two boys had surprised her when Harry had first told her that Carlisle had declared himself Harry’s best friend. She had always known Lucius as a cold man who always had an agenda, and Narcissa was always referred to as the ‘Ice Queen’. She had expected a combination of the two when Harry had first introduced her to the eldest Malfoy, but she had been pleasantly surprised by how warm and charming he had been, and his humour was very similar to a group of certain men she had grown up with.
Sirius had spent many years trying to get Lily to understand that even though the Malfoy’s weren’t her favourite people, they were Harry’s family through marriage, and when it came to blood in the wizarding world, nothing was stronger. No matter what side a witch or wizard stood, family was family.
It had helped calm her nerves when Harry would disappear word a week to spend it at Malfoy Manor or if Carlisle would show up to see Harry at Godric’s Hollow. The first time he had shown up on the door, Lucius had been with him and had been instead a pleasant version of himself. It had unnerved her.
And even if she had never been able to completely accept that for the meantime that the Malfoy’s weren’t the enemy, she knew that there wasn’t a single way to keep Harry and Carlisle apart. The two were brothers.
Lily couldn’t help but sigh as Carlisle laughed at something Harry said before throwing his arm over Harry’s shoulders. She had hoped that once Harvey and Harry were grown that they could share something similar, but every year that went past, Harry just seemed to pull away even more.
“They are certainly an odd pair.”
Lily turned to see Narcissa Malfoy standing behind her. Narcissa was watching the boys, a soft smile on her face.
“Carlisle has always craved trouble and loved creating chaos. Lucius tried, of course, to instil the Malfoy grace in the boy, but it appears that nothing could keep him in line. That was until he met Harry.” Narcissa turned her eyes to Lily. “You and my cousin did a wonderful job with him.”
Lily wasn’t sure what to say, so she smiled and said, “Thank you.”
Narcissa asked, “Harvey starts Hogwarts this year, does he not?”
Lily nodded. “Yes. He and James are busy browsing quidditch supplies.”
Narcissa’s smile turned wide. “Boys and their brooms never grow out of the fascination.”
Lily laughed and paused as she realised that the conversation she was having with a Malfoy was civil.
“Anyway,” said Narcissa, “I best go and get Draco his books. Take care, Lily.”
“You too.”
She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Lily tried to see if there could have been any underlining context and was tempted to test herself for a hex but instead decided to let it go. She stepped into the book shop and asked an assistant for help and provided him with the list of Hogwarts books.
“I hope my mother wasn’t too rude.”
Lily smiled at Carlisle, and Harry approached her.
“Actually, your mother was rather nice.”
Carlisle frowned. “Really?”
Lily nodded.
“I wonder what she’s up to?” said Harry.
“Possibly, she is hoping that Draco will make friends with Harvey; after all, she adores you,” said Carlisle.
Harry snorted. “Draco is more likely to scare Harvey away. He’s too much like your father.”
“Don’t make assumptions, dear,” said Lily, “Harvey has a tendency to make friends with everyone. Even if their viewpoints are different.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Just because he can put up with Donald Weasley doesn’t mean he will be able to deal with Draco.”
“Ronald,” said Lily.
“Huh?”
“The youngest Weasley boy’s name is Ronald.”
Harry shrugged. “Whatever. Are the boys finished? Can we head home?”
“Always, so eager to get back to your lab,” said Carlisle.
“Unlike you, Malfoy, I have an apprenticeship that I would like to start.”
Lily said, “If you have everything, then you can go; just make sure to tell your father.”
Harry smiled. “Thanks, Mum.” He stepped over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
Lily nodded. “Love you.”
“You too.”
The two boys left the shop, and Lily watched them go. It had been challenging to get Harry to come in the first place, and even after being forced to come by Sirius, she was proud that he lasted as long as he did. Harry had been polite and kept his eye rolls to the minimum; even when Harvey had tried to talk about Hogwarts with him, she could see the effort both Harry and Harvey were putting in. Instead of ignoring him, as Harry often did, he gave short answers before changing the subject. It wasn’t a lot, but it was progress.
Lily collected the books for Harvey and found her son and husband standing just outside. Harvey smiled widely and said, “Mum, Dad said that if I did well at school this year, he would buy me a Nimbus two thousand!”
Lily glanced at James, and she could see the regret in his face.
“Did he now?” she asked.
Harvey nodded.
“The old broom won’t be suitable for him when he plays Quidditch,” said James.
Lily smirked. “That is a whole year away, and not that I doubt Harvey, but what if he doesn’t make it on the team?”
Harvey frowned. “Gee, thanks, Mum.”
Lily stroked his cheek. “Nothing against you, sweetheart, but there are lots of witches and wizards who are very good at the game; you don’t know what will happen.”
“I’ll just have to get Harry to help me practice. He’s been the Ravenclaw seeker since his second year, and they have won the quidditch title every year.” Harvey bounced on his toes and smiled.
Lily kept her smile firmly in place. She knew that Harry would refuse, but she would let Harvey hope. Maybe them being at Hogwarts would change something.
“Alright, let’s head home. I have a new recipe I want to try,” said James.
Lily grabbed handed Harvey his books to put in his bag, which had an undetectable extension and weightless charms applied, and frowned at her husband.
“You can stay out of my kitchen, Mr Potter.”
James pouted. “I blow up a pot one time, and you think I’m going to break everything.”
“Dad, you blew a hole through the roof,” said Harvey.
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