Echoes of Time (Harry Potter)

June 26, 1943

Friday Early Afternoon

"Merlin," Harry exclaimed as he dug through his suitcase, only to find a fair few letters that he definitely hadn't packed himself. "It's been one day and already I've found myself with mail."

He couldn't believe it, especially with how large one of the letters seemed… it had to be Aster's, that boy was the only one that he'd seen who wrote entirely too large. Corene and Reinhard wrote a tad smaller than the average person too, so the thinnest of the letters were likely from the latter; Corene wouldn't have sent him something so early, though, he knew soon he would need to speak with her regarding the offer that'd been made over the holidays. It didn't help that she still needed her copy of Walburga's book either, or whatever else that would likely pop up when he visited the massive Carrow Castle.

That wasn't to say he'd dislike visiting the girl. No, Corene had very quickly become one of his closest confidants since he'd had that first enlightening conversation with her, the one that showed her loyalty wasn't entirely to Elaine. If that proved true, as it had begun to do when she continued sharing information with him and assisting him in whatever it was that he needed as she had, then he'd continue to greatly enjoy the stoic girl's company.

Either way, with the three letters in his suitcase as they were and with only two people known to him that could've slipped it in - lest it happened aboard the train when he hadn't been paying attention - he decided to tuck into reading them before he went about doing anything else on his first day home.

But first, before he read the three letters, there was somebody who he very much wished to speak with. A friend he'd not seen for some time and one in whom he trusted above all others.

"Laddey," Harry summoned, his voice filled with an innocent eagerness he'd not felt for some time.

"Master Harry, sir!" Laddey said excitedly, the elf bouncing back and forth on his feet as he looked up with those wide, expressive eyes that all elves had.

Harry smiled at his friend and opened his arms, not a second went by before the elf jumped into them. Laddey returned his hug excitedly, recounting the many things of interest that'd happened since Harry's absence - none of them was particularly important or even remotely interesting to Harry, though, to an elf who only knew the land around home, he could see how the news of a deer family now living on their land could be interesting.

When his greeting and catching up with the small elf had finished and Harry once more found himself alone, he took out the letters in the order they'd been packed to read them. While tempting to let them sit for a time so he could relax for his first day home, he knew relaxation was a luxury he no longer had; Elaine wouldn't waste time letting herself rest, and as such, until she was satisfyingly dealt with, neither would he.

So, with the smallest of the three letters up first, he began to read of it.

' Harry,

I saw Aster writing you a letter for when you went home and so I thought I would too. I can't say I really put much thought into what the contents of it would or should be, but it was enjoyable enough to worry Aster when he saw me mimicking his actions. Wait! I know, we should pull something over on him when we come back to Hogwarts. That'd be some good fun, wouldn't it?

Anyways, before this goes on and on like Aster seems to be doing, I thought I'd do what everyone else seems to be doing and invite you over to my home. There's no rush on it, I don't think I could give a time or date to save my life anyhow, but the offers there if you'd want to. Don't forget to invite me over to yours if Aster's going either, reckon we could get up to far more fun the three of us together rather than only having two, don't you?

See you at Hogwarts or sooner mate!

Reinhard'

Well, the first of the three and the smallest of them had been an amusing read. Harry hadn't known what to expect, and yet, from Reinhard as it was, he should've. Seldom did the large boy ever have a plan, and when he did, they rarely went well. Still, Harry supposed he had good reason to write to him and for all he knew, he may very well take his friend up on the offer to visit the Lestrange family - the thought that he could stop them from turning evil, or more evil depending on their current alignments, wasn't lost on him.

At the very least, he could ensure Reinhard's loyalty was to him instead of Elaine. From what he knew of the boy's fighting prowess, that'd certainly be helpful should the worst come to pass.

With that as his final thought on the matter, Harry turned his attention to the next letter, that of which was from Aster. He doubted it was from any other dormmates either, as Reinhard would've likely made mention of it if he'd seen anything as he did to Aster's.

' Pev,

I was struck with the thought to write you seemingly from nowhere and with no good reason, at least not at first. Reinhard very quickly was struck with the same thought too, that or he simply started writing to worry me. Be sure to tell me which it was in your reply, I'm very curious and would likely need to plan revenge depending on what his plan is. Anyways, before this goes on and on, another thought struck me regarding my family. More importantly and with more detail, the thought that you should visit. It's not been lost on me that Druella's spent a good deal of time with you in our last few months. I'm sure she'd be as for the idea as I am, and my parents would probably enjoy meeting you too. Reckon anybody would want to meet you privately though, huh?

Now that I think about it and recall mentions of you helping that Weasley girl (the one with the large chest and angry face for your reference), you could talk business with my father. I'd say my mother too, but she's not much for business. Still, I think it'd be worth it if you spoke with him, he could help rebuild your investments like I think you're doing. Whatever you do, whether you accept my offer that may have been made without permission or not, don't invest in places without speaking to somebody who has a mind for it. You'll lose a lot of Galleons if you do that, trust me, I found out the hard way with my birthday money a couple of years back.

With that out of the way mate, I was thinking with us being sixth years next year that we could put a great deal more attention towards pranking when we're not having to study. Could you imagine the look on Druella's face if we got her? I'd say Daphne too, the cold bint that she is, but she'll probably be gone unless she gets that assistant position in Astrology or however you call it, can't be arsed if I'm honest with you.

With (some) respect,

Aster'

Harry put down the letter and shook his head, Aster certainly had a lot to learn when it came to writing letters that were meant to be serious. Well, that or he didn't care in the slightest about them… Harry was tempted to say it was his latter opinion, as Aster was more than smart enough to realise how his letter came across.

When it came to the contents of the letter, Harry wasn't all that surprised when he found himself invited - formally - to yet another house of one of his new friends. What was surprising was the mention of Druella, as Aster usually didn't care to hear whatever it was that Harry was up to regarding his sister once the boy realised Harry had begun to spend a lot of time with her. Again, another surprise was made in the way of Veronica's mention. Harry hadn't expected that the 'large-chest angry faced' Weasley girl would come up, though he wasn't surprised that when she did it was regarding potential business investments. Perhaps the Rosier family had something he could invest in and it was Aster's subtle way of telling him that.

If that were the case, though Harry very much doubted that it was, then Aster had certainly found himself underestimated in some ways, by Harry.

Finally, aside from the additional points brought up regarding business dealings that Harry knew he'd have to get around to dealing with, were the mentions of pranks. That wasn't surprising, not in the slightest - pranks were a part of Aster as much as his troublesome personality was. While that final paragraph wasn't at all important initially, the mention of Daphne was. Her family had yet to send him another letter, and more importantly, he thought this year had been the last he would see her for some time.

That wouldn't be the case if she found herself with a job at Hogwarts. If that happened, it wasn't a good thing for Harry either, as it meant yet another Professor or Professors Assistant that would heavily favour Elaine. It didn't matter that the girl, woman, now he reminded himself, had slowly warmed up to him.

"Laddey," Harry found himself calling once more.

"Yes, Master Harry sir?" Laddey asked, looking at once eager and happy to be of service after such a long time of not getting called upon.

"Could you have breakfast prepared for me? I'll be down in a moment - prepare a couple of owls too, if you would. I should think they'll be sent out by tonight with a few replies and a new letter entirely," Harry would reply to Aster and Reinhard this evening, he would potentially reply to the third person too, but most importantly, he needed to write to Marcus Potter.

He couldn't very well forget his upcoming visit planned for a few days away; he needed to confirm it with the other boy, not only that, but he needed to know if there were any specifics too. It wouldn't do in the slightest if he showed up underdressed or under-prepared when meeting his ancestors.

"Yes sir," Laddey idled for a minute and looked at Harry with a wide grin across his face. "It's very good to be having you back home, sir."

Harry returned the smile and nodded his head once. "I'm glad to be back, especially when I have so many good friends like you and the other elves here."

If he thought Laddey's smile couldn't get any larger, he was proven wrong at that moment. For it was with one of the largest smiles, perhaps the largest, he'd ever seen that the elf departed.

And so, with Laddey gone making his preparations, Harry found himself staring at the third letter as well as the few books that lay on his bed. He'd brought three, only three, from Slytherin's study. There were many many more that he wanted to bring, but with the protections failing slowly the moment they were brought from the safety of the study, he hadn't wanted to risk it.

So, it was very carefully that he chose the three books that he had; one was meant for offensive magic, another was a book that went into far greater detail for rituals and the potions that went with them and the final of the three was something meant to help him better understand magic as a whole. That final book wasn't the one he'd initially planned to bring, but when he realised there was much he didn't understand on a fundamental level, he decided to take it with him - he couldn't very well be uninformed in the greatest gift he'd been given.

Once he finished that last letter, he would take his breakfast and begin studying from the lattermost book. He didn't particularly want to read from the third book, not with the primary choice of his looking so tempting with the spells it undoubtedly possessed, but he knew he couldn't push it off or he'd never touch it. So, with that as his decision, he picked up the third letter and ripped off its seal.

' Harry!

Surprise! I don't think you saw me stick this atop your luggage when we were aboard the train, but if so, well… surprise anyways! Before you go wandering to the signature to see who this is, I'll spoil it for you by saying it's me, Sarah. I hope you didn't expect that our goodbye would end without me slipping you a letter, that wouldn't do at all. My family wishes to spend more time with you, my mother even expressed interest in having you over for a week at the most if that'd be something you'd want to do. We could make it worth your while too, since I know you've been studying a lot I think my parents would offer up library access for your benefit.

That's not all either. Aside from my cousin who has quite a severe crush on you, we've a friend that wishes to meet you as soon as he can. He's not from Britain and with the war as it currently is, those not currently in Britain have a hard chance getting to the island lest they have family or friends on it. I've tried telling him to take the Muggle way or to go regardless considering how much he wants to meet you, but he wouldn't be swayed. Don't ask me who he is in your reply, because I'll not spoil the surprise. At the most, I'll tell you he's something like an Uncle or Grandpa to me, so I hope you treat him well! You better too, or I'll pinch your ear next we meet!

Finally, this wouldn't be worth the writing if I didn't tell you to visit me at my work over this summer break. You remember where you met me with Professor Slughorn, don't you? If not, you can ask me in your reply, though I'll be very disappointed if you forgot where you met your favourite Hufflepuff. When you come too, make sure to do so in the afternoon, I can take my break around that time so we could have lunch together. If you're good, I'll throw in something freshly made by yours truly as a treat, I promise I'm one of the best bakers you'll ever have the pleasure of knowing, much less eating from.

Your (greatest) friend,

Sarah Goldhorn, greatest of the Golden Girls'

Harry placed the letter back down on the table with a shake of his head when he saw how she signed farewell; leave it to Sarah to be outgoing and at the same time slightly full of herself. Her family was much the same from what he remembered, though the older generation had been a bit lacking in manners.

He didn't mind all that much, and as for a letter as a whole, he was happy it'd come from her rather than somebody random. Be that as it was, he couldn't fathom how she'd slipped a letter into his luggage without his noticing. Maybe it'd happened when he went to the loo… he'd have to keep an eye on her next time, but that next time he'd see her would very likely be at her familial home. It wasn't as if he'd decline her offer any more than he'd decline the others he'd been given by his closer friends; Aster, Reinhard and Marcus chief among them, though he had no doubt Corene or Elaine would be getting at least one visit from him over the summer break.

When he moved his attention to her second and third paragraphs, there was a great deal more information to unpack. Her friend, the one she referenced as something of an uncle or grandfather figure, was his greatest wonder. Who could she be speaking of? Why the secrecy when mentioning the man?

Harry felt a touch of unease when he reread that second paragraph and saw how she'd beaten around the bush. He wasn't one for minced words despite being in Slytherin this time around, and furthermore, the fact that Sarah had been the one to avoid speaking truthfully made it feel weirder. Sarah often spoke her mind even if it bothered those close to her, such was her character. He knew he'd have to be careful when he met with her and the man mentioned. As for her final remark of meeting her at her place of work, that was perhaps his easiest task of the summer thus far.

After all, who was he to decline good food, better company and a free treat for meeting with a friend?

Really, she hadn't needed to offer any assurances or deal sweeteners. He'd have met with her regardless of what she included, as spending time with friends of his regardless of the era he was in was something Harry greatly enjoyed. He imagined anybody like him would find similar happiness in spending time with those close to them, even Corene seemed to find some sort of joy in it despite her outward appearance of boredom or emotionlessness.

"Laddey," Harry called once more, the final letter placed back on his bed as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

Once more, the elf popped into his room and looked at him, ready for the next order he'd receive.

"Is Professor Slughorn still able to call you?" Harry asked.

"Yes Sir, the Master Slughorn can still call Laddey!" Laddey replied, nodding his head and causing his ears to flap about.

"Wonderful," Harry said, another plan formulating in his mind. "Would you mind delivering a letter to Slughorn this evening or the following one, if you can? I'm not sure if you could pop into his home or if you'd have to wait for him to be somewhere public, but I think I'd like to have him over relatively soon - do stress that to him when you hand over the letter."

Harry had decided, albeit somewhat brashly, to invite Slughorn over before the man had him on as a potioneering assistant for the coming year. He wasn't sure exactly what drove him to that decision, but he just had a feeling in his gut that made him do so. Hermione or Ron would've called it his Potter luck kicking in, but Harry had spent enough time back in this past to call it intuition more than anything else. Then again, there was also the chance that the being that'd sent him back had a hand in him making the choice that he did; if that were the cast, he wouldn't be overly happy considering the lack of help it'd given him aside from that one dream very early on that did practically nothing for him.

Maybe there was a way to encourage similar dreams or revelations, Merlin knows Harry needs the help.

June 26, 1943

Friday Evening

It'd been nearly six hours by the time Harry marked his spot in the book on Magic and put it down on his desk. During that time, he'd learned much and little at once, for so much of the theory therein had gone over his head thanks to the book speaking in an older version of English as well as using terms he wasn't at all familiar with.

He was frustrated by that fact too, for there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the likes of Dumbledore or Elaine would've easily understood the knowledge shared by the ancient book. Harry wasn't so spiteful for that emotion to leak from him and into Elaine though, for as the time had gone on, he'd slowly begun to understand the connection they had.

Distance seemed to play a factor in it too, for the strength of it seemed diminished when compared to how strong it'd felt when the pair were at Hogwarts together.

"Master Peverell, sir?" Laddey's voice, timid and off-sounding reached his ears.

Harry scrunched up his eyebrows and turned to face the elf. "What is it?" He asked, curious as to why Laddey would disturb him when that wasn't something the elf would usually do.

"You have two letters from Master Slughorn sir, I tried telling him that only the Master Slughorn should write to you, but he said that the other letter was from a Master Slughorn - the Master Slughorn's Master Slughorn, sir," Laddey explained, or rather, didn't explain at all considering the terms used for what Harry believed was two people.

After a few seconds of thought on 'Master Slughorn's Master Slughorn', Harry came to the conclusion that the second letter was from Slughorn Senior. Why the man had decided to send him a letter alongside his son was initially lost on him until he realised it was likely to cash in on that story he was still owed. If that were the case, Harry would soon have to hit the books in the Peverell library.

Hopefully, he could find a Peverell tale that wasn't important and also wasn't too damning as the Slughorn one seemed to be, should one put 'stock' into it as Slughorn Senior had said. Harry snorted when he thought that, for there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Slughorn Senior would want something equally dark or otherwise similar in return for his story.

Harry could find a tale, he knew, especially if he had the help of his librarian elf.

When he was roused from his thinking by Laddey, the elf before him starting to shake slightly, Harry raised a hand to receive the letters at the same time he spoke to his nervous elf-friend. "It's fine, Laddey. Slughorn's father and Slughorn are both welcome to send me letters, I should've told you that - Sorry. Why don't you take some rest? Do whatever it is that you enjoy doing?"

Laddey looked at Harry weirdly. "Laddey likes to cook sir, but you have other elves for that."

Harry waved away Laddey's concerns. "Cook whatever you'd like and enjoy it yourself, tell the other elves they can do the same if it pleases them. I don't imagine you lot eat all that much, nor do I think you take breaks even when you need them… think of this as a reward for great service," Harry offered those final few words as a form of encouragement, as elves were very stubborn when it came time for them to enjoy themselves.

He couldn't believe it now, much less when he'd first met Dobby. Any wizard, witch, muggle or other creature with intelligence would've likely gone mad if they weren't given the time or chance to express themselves or find joy in something.

"Thank you, Master Peverell sir, you're the greatest wizard an elf could ever serve, sir!" Laddey exclaimed, his eyes growing tearful as he popped away.

Harry shook his head and placed the two letters on his desk beside the other three he'd already opened.

It would seem his time over the summer would be constantly plagued by postage, and if that were the case, he'd have to make a day per week for it, lest he never finds time to study again. That'd be a travesty too, for he was already too far behind Elaine in his mind, especially after he witnessed the fight she'd had with Cade.

He wouldn't have beaten his former tutor turned graduate. For all he knew, he couldn't beat most of Elaine's group that actually cared; Corene, Daphne, Reinhard… all of them could be helpful should he get the chance to practise with them.

Elaine, he wouldn't bother duelling for some time even if it were a faux duel, as the girl would easily handle him regardless of what he did.

That would change in time, Harry knew as he looked towards the books on his desk.

Oh yes, it would certainly change in time.

June 28, 1943

Sunday Evening

Harry had spent the rest of his Friday evening studying, the same was true for the entirety of his Saturday too, for he very much desired to improve upon himself in the time between the end of his fifth year and the start of his sixth. His reasons for doing so were obvious, as Elaine would very likely be doing the same as he was; who knew what the others of his year or friend groups would be doing too?

For all he knew when he returned for his next year of Hogwarts, Corene and Reinhard could very well be the next Cade. Realistically, he didn't think that would happen, but the thought of it was more than enough to act as a boost to the already heavy force behind his wanting to improve. It wasn't lost on him how important this year would be either, as this was the final one in which Elaine would attend Hogwarts.

She would likely be making a great many moves between her studying and taking of finals, for her access to all of her circle would be lost for some time… unless she somehow pulled something off similar to what Daphne Oleander was allegedly doing. He didn't want to think of a future where Elaine managed to worm her way into a teaching role at Hogwarts, for it would mean nothing good for his chances of success.

Dumbledore briefly made it to the front of his mind too, though not for any good reasons - Harry was still thinking of how frail and weak the older man seemed, for those looks did nothing good to Harry's mind. He'd picked up on differences between this past and the one that would've come from his world aside from the obvious one of Elaine not being Tom. Initially, he hadn't been too concerned with them, but with Dumbledore's appearance and the upscale of attacks by Grindelwald in addition to Yaxley working for him… Harry wasn't all that confident that Dumbledore would beat his former friend this time around.

Not without help, and that was where Harry came in as he improved himself. Should Dumbledore go to confront the man, Harry would try his damndest to follow his mentor to offer assistance so long as he thought he was ready, or rather, ready enough. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Grindelwald would destroy him in a one on one, but he was equally as confident that Grindelwald would lose to the combined forces of him and Dumbledore. That wasn't mentioning the wildcard that Elaine would represent either, for Harry very much doubted that Elaine wouldn't track him down considering how important she thought him to her cause.

If that bond between them had any true stock to it - their wands reacting to one another made him think of it - then that would be the perfect time to use that connection and superior strength to defeat Grindelwald alongside Dumbledore. Harry wasn't naive enough to think that'd come without repercussions, or in some cases, rewards for seeing the end to an evil Dark Lord. Elaine would likely ensure all heard of the tale if it came to pass, and with that tale, the three of them each would receive praise, riches, titles and renown currently unthinkable.

It wouldn't be the greatest, nor would it be horrible.

That title could sum up more than that little dream too; to Harry, it summed up what would happen if he aided Elaine in taking over the Ministry. He hadn't yet read much of the Ministry's history, but from the little he knew, there always seemed a level of violence or otherwise coup-like scenarios that came with a change of power. If he could aid Elaine in taking it peacefully, or as peacefully as would be possible so as to avoid the needless suffering of thousands of magical beings, he would do so.

Harry would've preferred a life where he kept Elaine from any sort of power or spotlight, but with the duration of time that'd passed with which he'd gotten to know her, he concluded that wasn't possible. Not in the slightest. Elaine sought power like Grindelwald currently did, the only difference between the two would be a second person to lower their wand before another war came to pass.

He would be that person for as long as was needed, and maybe then the being that'd sent him back would show him more memories of their meeting. Above all, he very much wished to know how his time was doing and the name or title of the being that had sent him back in the first place.

"Master Peverell sir, are you feeling alright sir?" Laddey's voice asked, the house-elf standing but a foot or less away from him with those large, ever-expressive eyes staring at him in a way that showed pure worry.

Harry tried to speak, but couldn't. In response to his inability to form words, he cleared his throat and tried again, it worked this time.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," He assured both the elf and himself; it didn't help that the book he'd fallen asleep on nearly fell to the floor, it was one of Slytherin's too, so he had to be extra careful in ensuring that prized possession didn't get damaged. "What's wrong, Laddey?" He asked.

"You were sleeping for too long, Master Peverell sir," Laddey said. "If you were sleeping any longer, you would be missing your chance to respond to Master Slughorn and Master Slughorn's Slughorn sir. I remember you told Laddey that you wanted to respond on the weekend!"

Harry blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes and then it dawned on him. He did need to reply to Slughorn and Slughorn's father before too long went by, not only that, but he needed to respond to the other letters too - unless he'd dreamed of it, Marcus had sent him something too, he'd only not read it since he thought he had enough time to do so later in the evening… oh.

"What time is it?" Harry asked as he stood up abruptly from his seat to search for Marcus' letter.

"It's after eight, Master Peverell sir!" Laddey responded dutifully, his small hand pointing towards the clock on the wall that had completely escaped Harry's mind at the moment.

"Right, right, thank you Laddey," Harry said, shooting the elf a smile before he snatched Marcus' letter up and into his hands. "Would you mind having a snack prepared? I don't think I'd much like dinner and I really need to get working again - oh, right, tell me if there's anything I've missed too, please," Harry forgot how his friend would often omit details if he thought Harry seemed too tired or overworked.

It wasn't a horrible thing, nor was it done out of spite; how could it be when the house-elves he'd seen were always so wonderful?

"One more letter, sir," Laddey said, that nervous tone of his returning as he bounced lightly from foot to foot.

Harry looked at the elf curiously and after a few seconds passed them by in silence, he held out his hand as he spoke. "Who sent it? I thought we were a touch more unfindable than that?"

Laddey nodded his head emphatically at Harry's second question. "We are, Master Peverell sir, we are! It was the Master Slughorn again, sir - he sent for Laddey and told him that the Master Slughorn had an important letter for you. He said it was imperative that you had it, Master Peverell sir!"

"That's alright, then," Harry said, motioning with his hands to calm the elf down as he took the sealed letter from him. "He didn't say who it was from, did he?" Harry asked again, this time in a more gentle tone of voice than he'd previously done.

"The Master Slughorn said it came from a girl named Elaine sir. He told Laddey that Elaine was Master Peverell's soon to be Missus Peverell, so Laddey took it - Laddey was reluctant, sir, Laddey doesn't recall hearing of a Missus Peverell," Laddey's eyes, for the first time Harry could recall, narrowed at him as he spoke.

Harry wondered if the elf was angry with him for not speaking of Elaine, regardless of the truth of her 'soon to be Missus Peverell' status. Ah well, it was likely that would happen eventually if everything continued as it currently was; not unless Harry grew more powerful than Grindelwald and Dumbledore combined could he easily handle her or other problematic magicals. Even then, in a weird sort of way, he did have feelings for Elaine.

"I'll take it off you - please tell Slughorn no more letters from anybody else when next he calls you, please, or I'll never have a moment to respond to him," Harry wasn't kidding, it'd been but three days since he'd returned and already seven letters had found their way to him.

Elaine's could wait for a couple of days, for Tuesday he would spend with the Potters of this time and tomorrow, well, he may very well be spending with the Slughorns. Professor Slughorn wasn't an entirely patient man, and his father seemed less so than him from the two small interactions he'd had with him.

With no further delay, Harry dove into the two Slughorns' letters and read them as fast as he could. He was very thankful neither of them was too large, and after he read the pair of them, he was equally thankful that the pair of them were straight to the point. Usually, Professor Slughorn was more flattery or opted to fill conversations in any form with niceties… it was refreshing that his letter avoided that.

' Harry Peverell,

Hello Harry, I hope this letter finds you in a splendid mood and in great health. If this is bothersome, you have my most sincere apologies, but I simply had to ask you a few things that escaped my mind. First and foremost, should you still have an interest similar to our last conversation, I would ask that you visit my home so that we may speak of it without other ears listening in. Trust me when I tell you, my boy, Hogwarts is full of holes!

Now, this one you may have heard and seen, but I can't help but ask when I could visit your home? I don't feel it necessary to say, but the thoughts of what it's like and the wonder I find myself filled with in regards to it are nearly unbearable. Should you permit me access this summer, I dare say I could offer something wonderful in return.

Thank you and sent with the dearest sense of friendship,

Horace Slughorn'

As it just so happened, Harry's day thus far had been rather good and his health equally so. Slughorn's letter kept his mood high too, for he expected the thing to be heavily ridden with compliments to the point of it being bothersome to read. When he finished the two small paragraphs and saw that his assumption was relatively far from his thoughts, and moreover, that Slughorn had spoken very clearly as to his wishes, Harry had been very happy.

Slughorn, Professor Slughorn, wished to continue the conversation they had on rituals and the potions that went with it; that was very good for Harry, especially if the little bit he'd read about them was proven true.

Powers at the cost of humanity wouldn't be worth it, not to him, for if he used them to defeat anybody, be it Elaine or Grindelwald, he'd become as they were. He knew enough now to know that becoming a monster to defeat a monster wasn't a solution. So if Slughorn could assist him in learning about rituals, and more importantly, ones that wouldn't result in him losing himself, that would be most helpful. As for the man's second point of visiting his home, Harry wasn't at all surprised when that came up. Slughorn prided himself on his charisma, and with that charisma, he found himself able to do very nearly whatever he wished. When Harry made that offer of having him over the Peverell Mansion some weeks or months ago, it'd been a calculated decision.

Slughorn's offer at the very end of his letter was proof enough of that - Harry only hoped what the man would give him in return would be well worth the risk of having his Professor over his home.

Finally, he needed to read the final letter he'd been given.

' Harry Peverell,

I very nearly held off on writing you, my hand's instability and our last discussion were the factors at hand to hold my choice. Yet, as you very well see, thy own inabilities and our conversation did not stay my hand. When my son made mention of writing to you, I had to as well, for you've a story to tell and my interest is greater than that of my son Horace's.

With that said and my interest made clear, there's something else I'd like to make mention of in this letter; your family. I don't mean House Peverell or those few who make it up as you've said, but those outside of your family. House Potter had laid its claim to being the closest living relatives of House Peverell, Houses Gaunt and Oleander too. Would you say who of those three is right? Beyond that, do you know the lineage of the witch you've been courting?

Reply to me soon, and sooner still, we shall make conversation over the matters herein and those that you deem fit to ask in return.

With respect, Young Master Peverell,

Master Slughorn'

Harry brought a hand to his head and sighed. Too many of the letters he'd received went into depth beyond that of what he'd hoped. It was like he was playing a game of politics whilst trying to, at the same time, read the letters in the old-timey manner with which they were written.

Merlin, who still used the word 'thy'?

He wouldn't reply to either Slughorn's today or tomorrow. It wasn't likely he'd respond until the second of July, the day he'd be home from speaking with the Potters, for that soon to come meeting had taken up a majority of his brainpower; the where fors, what to dos and whys especially.

That wasn't to mention the other letters that needed responding to or those that needed sending in the first place.

Aster, Reinhard and Sarah would expect something back from him before too long, just as the Slughorns would. Elaine had a letter he'd not read until after his day with the Potters, and if he were smart, he'd write to the Oleanders and Carrows again too. Corene's family would want his official and formal response very soon, the girl had pressed him for it while he'd still been in Hogwarts; Daphne's family hadn't responded back to his previous letter, so in case it was a test, he would write to them once more.

There was so very much to do, studying included, and Harry knew how important all of it was.

He couldn't get overwhelmed or fall too far behind, no, that wouldn't work in the slightest.

July 1, 1943

Wednesday Early Afternoon

"Harry Peverell!" Marcus exclaimed before Harry could even make out his surroundings in the Potter Mansion Parlour room.

It didn't help that the slightly thinner boy enveloped him in a friendly hug as his eyes adjusted to the lighting and decor either, it very nearly left him blinded by his friend's hair that he'd grown out in recent times. Harry had very much come to like clear vision without the need of glasses too, so the interruption and reminder of his previously poor eyesight weren't altogether pleasant.

"Hello Marcus," Harry said as he withdrew from the other boy's grasp and looked at him. "How've you been the last few days mate? Everything been well for you?"

Marcus nodded a dozen times or so at Harry's words, the energy in his actions very clear. "Everything's been wicked, I've gotten more power in the few days leading up to your visit than ever before - thanks for that, by the way, mate. Never thought I'd get to schedule out the dinner plans, conversation decor and all that… dinner plans is most of what I was happy to do."

Harry laughed. "I'm glad I could feed the power-hungry side of you. Speaking of those plans, what are they? Where are we headed first and who am I speaking with? You do know that your family made this sound like a very formal sort of thing, right?"

It was all too easy for Harry to recall the serious tone the letter Marcus' parents sent him had. To some degree, it reminded him of scoldings that the Weasley parents would give their kids, but he knew that wouldn't be the case considering they'd never met him before.

That was what he thought, at least, for Marcus' face falling made him wonder if that could very well be the case. If it were, he may have to dash out early too, as he wouldn't be taking a scolding from anybody he'd never met once.

"Power-hungry side of me, huh?" Marcus scoffed and pulled a face. "As if, mate, as if. I know this was meant to be formal too, but I decided not to have it nearly as formal as they wanted it - where's the fun in a meeting with everyone dressed pompously while they speak like they've got a stick up their arse? Anyways, we're going to head to the dining room and meet my parents… there's a few other family members here too, might end up a bit rough if we don't steer the conversation away from certain political issues."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? Who's here?"

Before Marcus could answer that, a few people very near their age entered the room from a door at the furthest wall from where Harry stood.

Two were men, and one was a woman; of the men, one looked very much like a picture of his father while the other looked similar but more muscular. It was very clear to Harry that the woman with them wasn't of the Potter line, for her similarities to Walburga were entirely too high for her to be anything but the woman he'd heard of before. She had to be Dorea Black, and the man with whom her arm was looped through was likely Charlus, her husband.

"Hello, Harry Peverell," Dorea said, speaking first of the three newcomers as her eyes sought his out with an intensity about her only rivalled by Elaine or Daphne. "It's a pleasure to meet you after hearing so much from Walburga."

Immediately, that set Harry on edge, for nothing good could come from a conversation with Walburga Black. She was without loyalty or friendship to him, if anything, she was very near the title of enemy thanks to the many times he'd avoided her sketchy dealings - they were truly that too, for never would she seek him out whilst he was in the company of others.

"I should say the same," The other boy, Fleamont if Harry guessed correctly, said as he stepped closer to him. "Marcus had written home to our parents about you a couple of times, and through correspondence with them, I learned a good deal about you, Harry Peverell. Needless to say, when I heard of your visit here, I simply had to send a request to be in attendance for it," Fleamont dipped his head with a small smile, though it couldn't be called soft as other's he'd seen had been.

Charlus, the more muscular of the two, nodded. "All of us had to meet the first Peverell to come public in centuries, our familial ties being the strongest would ensure a level of friendship between our two houses. Such friendship would aid both of us, in the long term, isn't that right Dorea?"

Dorea nodded her head, her eyes still holding Harry's. "It is."

Marcus scoffed again and used his hand to break the eye contact Harry was held captive by; a waving hand but an inch in front of your face would always succeed lest magic was involved… and Merlin did it feel like magic was involved when Dorea caught his eyes with hers.

"Let's get to the dining room where mum and dad are waiting," Marcus said, shifting his attention from one of his family to the next until he ended with a look at Harry. "They've wanted to meet you something fierce, let me tell you. I dare think I would've gotten hit with a curse if I prolonged it to next year or even Yule itself!"

Fleamont scoffed this time, and in a manner very similar to his younger brother. "Don't be so dramatic, you've been the favourite for some time. They'd never curse you."

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by a girlish voice that carried through the halls behind the three newcomers.

"Where'd you all go! I was in the loo and you left me!" Whoever the girl was, her run sounded very slow and off.

"Go get her, would you?" Dorea bid Fleamont, one of her perfectly kept eyebrows raised as she looked to the younger man.

When Fleamont did as she asked with not one issue raised, Dorea smiled beautifully at him and turned back to Harry. "Cornelia, Charlus' older sister. She's been staying here in Potter Manor whilst waiting for her child to come, hence her off-kilter run that we were all hearing."

"I think I remember Marcus talking about her once," Harry said with a nod towards his friend - likely his only friend in the room or house at large. "He said she was nice and had married a bit of time ago."

Charlus seemed pleased with that little mention and nodded his head. "Cornelia's the nicest of all the younger Potter family members, Marcus spoke truly of her," he turned to look over his shoulder and Harry could see the side of his lips raise up as if he were smiling widely, "Sister, it's good to see you!"

Ah, that would do it, Harry thought as a moment later a very pregnant woman walked through the door.

"Charlus, hello! Dorea you look wonderful!" Cornelia hugged Dorea and then looked to Harry. "Our missing relative and greatest wonder, Harry Peverell! My, you do look like that old picture of Lolanthe… do you have a brother by any chance?" Cornelia laughed when she finished speaking, but Harry was more caught up on the woman she mentioned.

Lolanthe; the last Peverell to the general public, or that was who he thought she was.

"Cornelia," Marcus said with a sigh as he rubbed at his temples and shot a look to Harry. "Come on, let's get you to meeting my parents so we can get the boring stuff done with, yeah? Once you finish that, we can get to seeing the grounds and better yet, talk about your bird come this year - I've a bit of information I'm sure you'll love."

Well that didn't sound too good, not to Harry. If there was ever anything Marcus knew of Elaine, he could generally count on it being bad.

That could wait though, for where he stood now, he had a meeting with two Potter parental figures.

He hoped they were cool.