Harry’s Next Challenge

He figured out that he could change his body weight by about five percent, he could grow and shorten his hair as well as change it's color and he could change the color of his eyes. His lightening bolt scar was healing thankfully into a smaller scar than it had been and he was able to change his skin up to five shades in any direction lighter, darker, sallower, rosier or more olive.

He could hold alterations for eight hours one of the last things Rose taught him was how to simulate a scar. Harry immediately applied the lesson to create a mock surgical scar on his chest at first he could only hold it an hour but he knew he needed to be able to hold it indefinitely by the time he returned to school.

After a fond farewell to Rose, Harry Sirius and Rachel portkeyed to Montana because Sirius felt he still needed to work on his magic base control.

....

The crisp fresh air was the first thing that Sirius, Harry, Montana. They quickly pulled the time turner out and gave it sixty turns. When they arrived on the proper day, Rachel called the rest of the security team. Then they walked through the gates of Reynolds' Ingredient Supply and Reserve and knocked on the front door of what appeared to be the main house.

The door was opened by a middle aged man with brown hair, greenish blue eyes, a strong chin and a slightly crooked prominent nose with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Can I help you?"

Sirius stepped forward"I believe we're expected. I'm Sirius Black."

"Mr. Black… and company, yes please come on in. Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee is fine." The request for coffee was echoed by most the team.

"I was really only expecting you Mr. Black and your ward. We really only have one guest room."

"That's alright we'll let Rachel take the room the rest of us will rough it in the tent."

"I wasn't sure how we were going to do this. I'm a naturalist and businessman not a teacher."

"First of all relax Mr. Reynolds. Instead of calling me Mr. Black call me Sirius and this is Harry. Harry's your pupil and he learns things just by breathing I swear. This is Rachel Luttrell she head of our security as far as the rest, these guys they are her backup. If I remember their names from my briefing they are Jace Montgomery, Kane Taggert, Thomas Hamilton, Gerard Johnson, and Fred Wilson of the Wizarding Investigative Service they are here because I am connected loosely to the magical president. That said unless they're telling you to duck feel free to ignore their presence, they're used to that. As far as how we do this, how about we start with a tour of the place."

The security team grinned their agreement with Sirius' statement.

Mr. Reynolds relaxed a bit. "I can do that, please call me Mal."

They started the tour with the green houses there were forty of them. Half holding magical species half not. Malcom was very careful to tell Harry, "Green houses numbers 19, 20, 21, and 22 are off limits to kids unless escorted by an adult. That rule applies to all the kids here not just you."

"How many kids are here sir?" Harry asked.

"Thirty-five they range from Kaylee who is two to Mikilos who is almost seventeen."

"I noticed all the cottages. How many people live here Mal?" Sirius asked.

"The enclave has thirty-seven families and there are one hundred seventy two of us. We have two teachers, one healer, two potion masters, fifteen beast masters, twenty herbologists, six farm masters, three vets, I have trouble keeping everybody's specialty straight we have a lot of overlap."

Harry and Sirius exchanged looks obviously one place that this business needed help was in organization.

"I know officially I own the place and the business, but we are actually one of the larger magical enclaves in the northwest and this place is home to families. Everyone here is family one way or another. Two thirds the families are related to me the other third are related to my wife, Mai."

The tour continued through the remaining greenhouses until lunch. They had lunch at the mess hall with everyone. After lunch they started going through barns and animal enclosures. Harry enjoyed seeing the variety of plants and animals. When they stopped shortly before four they had seen all the close in animals

"There are more animals farther out but we'll wait and see them another day. I need to get back and work on paperwork." Mal said.

When they went back to the main house Harry and Sirius noted where the tent had been set up. Mal said "Harry can you come with me for a moment. Sirius you said I could assign books right?"

"Yes I said you could get books for Harry and I would reimburse you."

"Mai said I went a little overboard. But I chose the best books on magical plants and animals that are out there in terms of both accuracy and variety of information. And Harry don't worry I don't expect you to read all of them while you're here but if something here has caught your interest you can find out about it." Mal looked totally worried, he opened the door to his office and there in the center of his desk was a stack of twenty five thick books.

....

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