22 part1

22

Harry sat alone with his back against the castle wall while he watched the many children in the courtyard. Harry was once more sitting out under the morning rays of the morning sun as he took cleansing breaths from the slowly warming air. His eyes opened at the laughter of younger children and he drew his view over to Oheo where she lay in the grass with a large group of children both around and on her. She really seemed to be enjoying the attention, which pleased Harry greatly. For years she had only had Harry and, while he did everything he could for her in the circumstances, he had always felt guilty for keeping her all to himself.

As he ruminated on his life with his, not so little, companion, his gaze found the slightly frazzled hair of Hermione, who was kneeling by a tree that never seemed to stop flowering. She had her hands cupped around something on the ground and had a very intense look on her face. Susan, Lavender, and the Patil twins were sitting around her, but it was clear that they had lost interest in mimicking what Hermione was doing in favor of conversation.

Harry wondered silently if he had done the right thing in regards to teaching Hermoine his style of magic. He had tried to teach her the same way the teachers of his tribe would teach the children magic, but he wasn't sure if that was the right way to do it with her. Hermione came from a different culture with a much different way of performing magic. It stood to reason that Harry needed to find a way somewhere between his way of doing magic and her way of doing magic to better teach her, but he wasn't sure if he had that ability.

Harry sighed audibly as he shifted to more of a slouch against the castle wall and letting the breath go he tilted his head back to rest against the stonework. This would be so much easier if they were back at his tribe. He could go to the teachers or his mothers or even his grandmother for help. But that train of thought always brought up another much darker thought that he tried not to dwell on, rarely succeeding. He missed his tribe and his mothers terribly and he wanted nothing more than to go home once all this 'destiny' business was finished. But could he? He and his fathers had been traveling for so many years and he had learned so much from every place they passed though. In that learning, his magic and his very way of thinking had changed. His tribe may have built the foundation of his mind, but the home his mind had become was built ever so slowly, timber by timber and stone by stone, by everyone he spoke to. As much as the thought pained him, he wasn't sure he could go back now. He knew too much that wasn't their way. Knew too many things that his tribe didn't. His grandmother pushed him out of the tribe so he could chase his destiny, but what happened to him after? What was to become of him when it was becoming clear that he no longer belonged…anywhere.

"Your thoughts are loud, my Quetzalcoatl," Amaru's voice echoed slightly inside his mind. The great snake's astral profile came into view in Harry's peripheral vision. "What troubles you so?" Amaru asked him softly.

Many thoughts swirled violently in his mind. He grasped onto one that he didn't feel too embarrassed to speak aloud.

"Am I doing this right? How I'm teaching Hermione to perform magic differently than she understands? Teaching her magic as I understand it? Magic I learned from my tribe and refined with monks and with you?" He asked clumsily. Amaru probably already knew what truly disquiets his mind, but Harry was not about to give the old snake the satisfaction of confirming anything right now.

"You are strong, my Quetzalcoatl. You will find a way," Amaru spoke sagely and Harry couldn't suppress the eye roll and a mental groan.

"Enough of that, Amaru!" Oheo's growling voice rang out as she rolled onto her stomach, causing many children to slide off of her and onto the ground with giggles and laughter. "You've had your fun. Now help my mother," She huffed and even though she laid her head back down her one eyes was trained on Amaru's spectral projection.

Amaru's tongue flicked out in agitation as he tasted the feelings in the air and sneered as much as a snake could. "I have had so little contact with snake-speakers the last few centuries. Am I not allowed to have a little bit of fun with this one?" He demanded with far less poise and… was that a pout? Did gigantic snakes with rainbow feathers pout?

"Have your fun some other day," Oheo growled with a demanding tone. It also held the edge of a threat, which made Harry wonder about Oheo's power now that she seemed to have grown into a young adult.

Amaru hissed unhappily but turned back to Harry, "Fine, fine." His head extended to take more of Harry's view and the connected multicolored feathers fanned out and shifted with the snake's movements. "No need to get defensive young lady," Amaru collected himself and muttered the last comments as his astral form coiled around Harry and his head laid on his coils in front of Harry.

Oheo huffed as well, blowing pale smoke out her nostrils that shimmered in the sunlight, much to the delight of the children around her. Harry tried not to get involved in their little spats as they began once Oheo had begun inserting herself in communications with Amaru. There was something more, something ancient, between these interactions and he didn't have the energy to deal with two irritating 'children' long enough to get an answer. iIf/i he could get an answer.

"Can you even help me?" Harry asked, not entirely kindly.

Amaru hissed that came across as a thoughtful hum, not agitated but resigned. "I'm not sure how to help you," Amaru lifted his head and looked over to Hermione, who was growing agitated from what Harry could assume was a lack of progress. "Everyone learns differently. Everyone iis/i different," He turned back to Harry. "No one has a better chance of finding a way to teach her than you. You were not the same student of mine you are today, and the more I understand and know about you the more I am able to teach you Harry."

Amaru's words were wise but still weren't helpful, but they helped ease Harry's mind of at least that one question. Interaction and familiarity would help, he supposed. A more pressing question sprang to his mind, demanding an answer and Harry, now free of his first concern for the moment, voiced this second issue that he had been chewing on.

"What happens to me after I'm done here?" Harry asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer, his hands found each other in his lap and he squeezed his fingers against each other as he continued to clarify, "Will I be able to go home?"

Amaru hummed and flicked his tongue out softly as he took a moment to ponder his answer and observe Harry, "Home is where you make it." He turned his head to direct one large eye to stare directly at Harry, "It can move and change. It can be a state of mind or a place or even a person. Finish your business here. Then calm your mind. Your home will reveal itself to you," Amaru smiled as only a snake could before he gently squeezed Harry in his coils and with that his projection faded from Harry.

"Did that help you, mother?" Oheo asked him tentatively. She seemed worried about him and her worry practically flowed across their bond and Harry could feel it in her form from where he was sitting. He must have let his emotions get away from him again and she felt his turbulent state.

Harry thought about Amaru's words and found that he actually did feel better. His mind, while not as settled as he would have liked, had calmed noticeably.

"Yes, my darling," Harry smiled at his ward and her body immediately relaxed. "His words have given me much to think about."

Oheo, now pleased, flopped back down onto the ground from where she had raised herself to look at him and was quickly swarmed by the children once more. Watching the children climb all over his ward and friend made Harry smile. His place in the world may be in flux, but maybe that didn't matter as much as he thought it should.

After watching Hermione and Oheo for a while longer, Harry decided that he was hungry and walked back into the castle to find something to eat. He passed a few groups of kids that tried to nonchalantly get out of his way and some even tried not to make too much eye contact. It made Harry want to shake his head, but the action might be misinterpreted by those around him. They would learn that he was not to be feared by those that did not deserve it.

One of the changing rooms remained transformed into what the children called a 'Great Hall'. Harry wasn't sure what a Great Hall normally was or why it was called that, but he didn't consider anything about the room to be considered 'great'. It was a large room with long tables to seat all the children comfortably while they ate, did school work, or socialized. Against the far wall was a row of tables that were practically overflowing with many types of foods. Harry learned quickly that many of the foods here were far too rich for him and even hurt his stomach. He cast a misdirection ward on himself just before he entered the room mostly because he hated dealing with the looks and whispers of the kids when all he wanted to do was eat. As he grabbed some fruit from one of the serving dishes, Harry overheard some of the children sitting nearby talking quietly about Ron and his recent transformation.

"He shouldn't be allowed to stay here! He's dangerous!" A boy hissed as loud as he dared to his group of friends.

"Harry's here though. He can stop him easily!" Another, younger sounding boy spoke excitedly. "He's wiped the floor with Weasley before already!"

"Yeah, but he's a bleeding heart. We can't really depend on him," The first boy replied in a huff as he continued to voice his concerns.

The children considered him a bleeding heart? He knew the term was meant to be a type of slur, but he never understood why being compassionate was considered bad by so many.

"It could be worse," A girl added softly and not a little fearfully.

"Yeah! Like his dad could be a werewolf too!" The boy sneered loudly.

The other kids quieted down after that and continued to eat in silence. The short conversation made Harry's blood boil. Is that what these kids really thought? Prejudice was fine as long as it was pointed to someone else? Their society believed they were lesser people because of how they were born and was going to send them off to be registered and probably exterminated at some point, but they still held onto their society's beliefs concerning werewolves? Did these idiots learn nothing from their circumstances?!

Before Harry knew it, he was entering the family's bedroom where they had put Ron to sleep. Harry took a few steadying breaths before he approached the still sleeping werewolf pup. Ron didn't deserve his ire when it wasn't his fault. Not when it was clear that Ron was now considered a second class citizen by his own society.

"Ron," Harry spoke quietly but clearly as he nudged Ron's shoulder. When Ron didn't stir, he nudged him harder. "Ron! You've been sleeping long enough."

Ron swiped at him weakly while rolling away from Harry muttering nonsense under his breath. Harry was beginning to understand why Sirius hated trying to wake Remus up after a full moon. Harry decided to default to what Sirius always did with Remus. Using his magic, he grabbed the edge of the mattress and pulled it up and out from under Ron, knocking him off the mattress and sending him flying to the floor. Ron immediately started cussing up a storm, using a lot of words that Harry didn't know.

"Oi! What was that for, you fuckin' nob?!" Ron screeched once he escaped the blankets that had been thrown over him. He still looked half asleep while trying hard to be angry.

"You've been asleep long enough, pup," Harry took perhaps a little too much pleasure in calling someone else 'pup' and being able to get away with it. "You need to get up now."

"And do what?" Ron growled up at him petulantly and, ultimately, fruitlessly. Harry wasn't afraid of him at all.

"Get something to eat? Maybe stretch your legs?" Harry shrugged.

Ron gave up trying to stand and hung his head down in defeat, his hands reaching for his hair that he then fisted in his hands, "What's the point? My life is over," Ron moaned into his elbows.

"How is it over?" Harry still had no idea how these people could treat werewolves so poorly. They were still people. Just a little more wolfy.

"I don't expect someone like you to understand." Ron muttered still in his curled up position.

"Can you explain it to me then?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, genuinely curious what he couldn't understand about the situation.

"People 'round here don't like werewolves," Ron sighed unhappily and he 'subtly' wiped his palm across his eyes to brush away tears that had been forming, "There's been a lot of laws made against them. Me now too, I guess," He continued with a mirthless chuckle.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing that 'that' is one of the things I'm going to change once I'm done with this Voldey-something business," Harry replied with a smile and his hands out to the sides as if presenting himself as royalty to the boy on the floor in front of him.

Ron looked up at him like he had begun speaking in a dead language during an ill-advised ritual in Middle America (that his fathers never found out about). "What are you talking about?" Ron said dumbly. Surely this Harry Potter guy had lost the plot. "How are you going to 'finish business with Voldemort' or change legislation? You're a teenager! A foreigner! What can you do?" Ron seemed somewhere between angry and confused.

"Let me ask you this: Who in this country do you think could stop me?" Harry smirked as he folded his arms across his chest and sniffed disdainfully, trying to emulate his cousin Draco's haughty demeanor. He was pretty good at it if he thought so himself.

Ron looked up at him with a strange mixture of both confusion and bemusement. "I don't rightly know," He finally said.

"Great! So with that out of the way, I'm going to teach you how the Wolf Tribe deals with werewolf pups!" Harry explained excitedly as he unfolded his arms and reached a hand down to pull Ron up from the floor. He had a good feeling that this lesson was going to go a lot better than the one he gave to Hermione.

"I'm not a pup! We're the same age!" Ron sneered at him.

"Ah, yes. But you've only just had your first transformation, which means you're a puppy!" Harry clapped his hands together, getting antsy. He wanted to fight with Ron again. Him being a werewolf now meant he would hit faster and harder, making the coming fight far more interesting. He held his hand back out for Ron who this time grabbed the proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

Ron shook his head as he stood, "I don't understand you, Harry."

"You'll get there," Harry patted him firmly on the shoulder. "So, ready to play?"

"I need different clothes," Ron motioned to his sleeping clothes by pulling his shirt out a bit and letting it fall back to his frame. Harry rolled his eyes, snapped his fingers and used his magic to change his clothes into a spare set of Harry's own training clothes. Ron sighed sharply through his nose. "You are such a fucking show off. You know that, right?" Ron told Harry without any hint of animosity.

"What's the point of having these amazing magical abilities if you can't show off a bit? Girls like it too, right?" Harry punctuated his sentence with a quick, outward motion of his hand that caused a flurry of glitter to rain downward from his hand to the floor.

Ron watched the glitter fall down silently before looking back up to Harry with a blank look on his face. "I don't even know what to say about that. You're a bloody twat is what you are," He finally said.

Harry threw his arm over Ron's shoulder and led the young werewolf out of the room. "My fathers say that quite often, so you're in good company," Harry chuckled as Ron shook his head again. "Well not that twat bit but that sounds insulting so I'll just ignore it for today."

There were still children milling around the courtyard and they all noticed Harry and Ron arrive. Many scurried back into the castle, and presumably back towards the adults, while many others simply moved to the outer edges. Oheo flipped onto her stomach, knocking children off of her once more, and took a keen interest in Harry and Ron as she strode across the open courtyard and quickly moved to lay next to the fountain to watch what was about to happen.

"Ready Ron?" Harry asked as he began his warm up stretches and rolled his neck getting one or two 'cricks' worked out.

"I guess?" Ron replied as he tried to mimic Harry's stretches. Harry made a mental note to teach him to do them properly, but decided that the thought definitely counted here.

Ron was slowly losing his ability to understand what was happening. "So what are we doing?" He asked as he saw the other people watching and clenched his jaw. It was just like any other day after his sister had died. Their staring didn't hurt then and it didn't hurt now. What did hurt was the slap to the back of his head. Ron's eyes narrowed as he glared at Harry.

Harry smirked and took a step away from Ron before he dropped his weight a bit and bent his knees with a broad grin on his face. "You're a puppy. Puppies play fight and wrestle with the pack to find out what they can do and get stronger. Come on Gou. Show me what the Wolf Spirit's blessing has gave you," Harry smirked and stepped forward quickly and shoved the red haired boy before laughing and growling at the still stumbling Ron.

"The bloody…" Ron staggered as he kept his feet under him. Seeing Harry now walking around him and growling and laughing made something in Ron sit up and pay attention. Suddenly Ron threw his head back and howled! As he lowered his head back down he ran at Harry and tackled the black haired boy. The two went down in a tangle of limbs and snarls. In the rolling tussle both boys fought for dominance on the ground until Harry rolled over sitting on Ron's stomach he batted at Ron's ears and tugged on his hair before leaping over his head and rolling to his feet turning to face Ron.

Ron growled in annoyance as the other boy batted his head around and even tried to bite Harry's arm when he pulled on the red hair. Once he was no longer pinned Ron scrambled to his feet and ran back at Harry with a smile on his face and a snarl on his lips. Ron, instead of his normal brawling mentality of swinging as wildly as possible with his fists, started to keep his hands open and use his fingers to reach for Harry in an attempt to claw at the boy. Harry barked out a laugh and kept his feet moving, staying just out of range of Ron's hands. "Come on Gou. We fought before and now you are more than you were! Use it!"

Ron barked a laugh in response and reaching deep moved towards Harry who smiled. Ron slashed with his hands towards Harry and during the furious left, right, left, and right Ron was suddenly stopped as Harry blocked the swing from his right arm. In the instant that Harry had stopped his right haymaker Ron realized that his arm had been wrapped up with Harry's and Harry slapped his right palm onto his right shoulder. With a gentle push Ron's arm straightened and where Harry's arms were pressured at his elbow. At that moment Ron snarled and lifted his body to try and relieve the pressure. Ron hissed in pain and then glared at Harry. The raven haired boy's eyes were boring into his own.

"I told you to use what the Wolf Spirit has given you. So stop being a bitch and show me what you can do!" Harry shifted his hand and instead of pushing on his shoulder he grabbed the top of Ron's arm and pulled him closer and hissed in his ear. "Show all those stupid kids in the castle watching right now that you're not a feral beast but something more. Something better!" Harry finished his demand by smashing his forehead into Ron's face and letting the boy go.

Ron staggered back and grabbed at his face. For a moment he was torn between just raging or being absolutely shocked at Harry's behavior. Then he smirked. Harry wanted him to fight then he would. With a quick motion Ron used the back of his wrist to brush the blood that was dribbling from his nose off his face. What followed was the quickest Ron had ever attempted to hit a person. Kicks lashed out at the raven haired boy, punches and slashes at his face and stomach rained down from the werewolf. Harry smiled and intercepted the blows that rained down at him. The werewolf was slowly finding his new stride and ability. Harry knew that all the kids watching were seeing Ron and him move faster than the initial fight they had months ago. Harry was growling and taunting the red haired boy, pulling on his ear or hair when he had a spare moment to keep the red haired boy moving and flustered.

With a howl Ron left up and kicked at Harry's head. Harry lifted his arms to block and grunted at the force. Ron was using the inherent strength from his wolf now. Harry stumbled from the blow and when he got his bearings back noticed that Ron had taken a leap from one of the stones in the area and was drawing back his hands to deliver a slash with both arms to Harry's neck. Unable to move since he was still recovering from the kick, Harry raised his arms in front of his face and both of Ron's claws slashed across his arms. Harry's upper body took all of the momentum from Ron's leap and he began to fall backwards. Flipping his body over Harry planted his hands and then sprang from the position flipping his momentum by balling up in the air to flip twice before stretching out his body and landing on his toes and with one hand down to help him balance in the uneven dirt that he landed in. Harry caught his breath as he watched the lines of blood seep down his forearms and as he looked up to where he had been moments ago he could see the droplets and path that Harry had taken.

"Oh, well done little wolf. Well done," Harry stood and nodded to Ron in recognition of his good work. "Now that you know how to reach into the wolf I expect that level of performance when my dad takes you out during the moons." With that Harry pooled his magic in his legs and blurred forward. His first step let him inside Ron's guard and with his hunched form Harry was well underneath Ron's arms and slammed his fist into the inside of Ron's thigh. With his left hand Harry stood and jabbed his left palm into Ron's chin and snapped the boy's head back. A third movement to punch into Ron's stomach had the boy reacting to hunch his body forward. Harry turned inside and grabbed Ron's arm over his shoulder and bending over and dropping his hips Harry pulled Ron over his shoulder and, with an added banisher, threw Ron across the courtyard to land hard and roll a few times before coming to a battered heap near the fountain.

Harry, as serene as Grandmaster Yi had been, calmly strode across the courtyard to the now groaning Ron. Absently Harry crossed his arms and with a muted glow under his hands rubbed down his forearms, healing and clearing the blood from his body at the same time. The slashes from Ron's claws reduced to nothing more than slightly pink skin on Harry's arms. Harry twisted his body and flicked the remaining blood on his hands into the grass nearby where every drop quickly sprouted a red or pink flower of various species. Blood magic wasn't just used to harm, after all.

Ron tried to sit up but with a pained groan just let himself flop back onto his back in the grass, his chest heaving from exertion. Harry could feel the sweat on his skin and was pleased he got a good workout. It had been a while since he had worked up such a good sweat while training. It was disappointing to see how tired Ron was after this moderate session, but Harry figured Ron would have gained strength and stamina as he accepted his new nature. In time, Ron would be able to give him a good fight more often.

"So…are we done?" Harry asked as he nudged Ron's thigh with his foot.

"Yeah…I'm done." Ron gasped as he threw his arm over his eyes. "You coulda fucking warned me mate!" Ron suddenly huffed between his labored breathing.

"Warned you about what?" Harry questioned, curiously as he walked to the fountain edge and sat down reaching for the water to run it over his face and neck.

"About how fucking vicious you are!" Ron yelled over as he turned his head to where he could hear the raven haired brawler.

"Our first fight didn't give you any indication?" Harry shook his head free of the lingering water and he ran his wet fingers through his hair briefly before gathering it up and putting in his leather hair tie.

Ron removed his arm from his eyes. "Yeah, I wasn't really paying attention then. I only wanted to whoop you," He spoke more conversationally. He was beginning to get his breath back, Harry noted. His wolf blood was already making a more effective hunter. With Remus' teachings, he could grow into a truly formidable hunter.

"Oi! Potter!" Harry heard Seamus holler at him from behind. Harry turned to see Seamus and a few other teens huddled together like a parliament of scared owlets. "What do you think you're doing?" He demanded standing out from the group but not too far.

"Uh…finishing up training?" Harry replied dumbly, not really sure what he had done wrong this time. "I was going to show Ron how to do some cool down stretches."

Seamus rolled his eyes dramatically. "You fecking idiot," He sneered. "He's a werewolf, you git."

Harry couldn't suppress the eye roll this time or the huff of annoyance. After everything that happened, these children continued to choose to keep their eyes firmly closed. Harry could feel Ron tense up through his magic and it only made him angrier. He turned to give the stupid child a rather large piece of his mind, but Draco's sudden appearance to his left stilled his tongue.

"If anyone here is a git, it's you Finnigan," Draco spat and called the attention to himself. Seamus puffed up a little bit, like a kitten would when faced with danger, and looked like he was going to say something, but Draco didn't let him. "Are you all that fucking stupid?!" Draco demanded as he turned his attention to the gathered group.

The owlets didn't say anything, just looked scared and puffed up. Susan walked up to the conversation with Hermione close behind.

"What's going on here?" She asked firmly, giving Seamus a dirty look.

Draco rose up to his full height and straightened out his nice, dark colored clothes. "I have seen the secrets this castle holds with Harry," Draco motioned to Harry magnanimously like he was pulling Harry or maybe just his presence into the conversation. "This was Merlin's castle," Draco stated and waited a moment for his words to sink in. "He left…" he paused to a brief moment to catch his word and find something appropriate for the conversation before continuing, "journals…detailing his friends and work. He spoke at length about Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. The stories we were told our whole lives are wrong!"

"How do you mean?" Susan pressed, now giving her full attention to the Malfoy Pureblood and scrutinizing him as he spoke.

"How are they wrong?" Hermione asked on the heels of Susan's comment, sensing hidden knowledge..

Draco looked to Harry with a quick tilt of his head at the group and seemed to ask for permission to divulge the information. Bemused, Harry nodded his assent, even though Draco didn't really need it.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor were trying to find a solution to the same problem. Protecting magical people. They built Hogwarts together, but Slytherin left to find other solutions. Faster solutions. There was no fighting," Draco paused. "The journals indicated that Slytherin had married a Muggleborn." There were scattered gasps around them. Ron got up to feet and took a spot very close to Harry. Harry smirked when he noticed that Ron smelled like a wet dog and looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"You lie!" One of the owlets sneered.

"Because a Pureblood from the Malfoy family would claim that Salazar Slytherin married a muggleborn for amusement?" Draco sneered so spectacularly that Harry swore he could see the skin beginning to peel from his scalp. "Merlin's notes mentioned it himself. Said that his wife was the 'first person in her family to have magic'," Draco turned to Ron. "Also of Slytherin's Werewolf associate that he asked to protect her family." There were a few more gasps, but mostly stunned silence.

"Harry?" Susan spoke up after a bit. "Would we be able to read these journals?"

"It's not books really," Harry said as he shrugged sheepishly, correcting the omission from Draco. He continued, "but crystals that store a memory. I don't feel comfortable having any of you in a room that I cannot state is safe, but I'll look into bringing the memories down here."

Susan nodded, "Of course. I will trust your judgment and wait to see what you figure out," Hermione nodded as the other girl spoke for the group, content with the course of action for the moment. Harry couldn't figure out what all was going on really but he chose to just go with it. He'd ask Draco later.

"Do you believe those…memories? Think they're real?" Another one of the owlets asked Draco. "You're protected with the current narrative after all."

Draco's eyes narrowed and the speaker sunk back into the huddled group of teens. Draco's voice gently wafted on the air between those involved but everyone could feel the sharp ice in his next words. "It didn't protect my mother," Draco momentarily paused as he slowly met the eyes of a few students around him before he continued, "It didn't protect Ron," Draco indicated Ron who looked angrily at some of the kids but was lost mostly in thoughts of the last day or so. Draco pulled all attention back to him as he took a step toward the group of quivering owlets. "I'm not foolish enough to think it'll protect me if I stop dancing to their music." Draco's charisma and bearing won over some of the other teens watching, many nodding their heads. Harry was hoping that Draco's words would have made some sort of change in the dynamic the kids had while at the castle.

"That's all well pillock," interrupted Seamus. "But what are we going to do about Harry?" Seamus took the center of attention and pointed accusingly at Harry.

"That is a very good question," Hermione added under her breath, or she thought she did, everyone heard her. She pointedly ignored that Seamus seemed pleased she agreed with him, Hermione dismissed his thumbs up harshly with a click of her tongue and a turn to remove him from her view.

"What are we talking about?" Harry asked in confusion. These people enjoyed talking without saying much.

"You were scratched!" Some of the shrill edge came back into Seamus' hysterical comment.

"So?" Harry shrugged, really not seeing the issue. Harry quickly gazed down at his arms, the skin was pink and freshly healed but nothing was deep or really required medical attention.

"That's how people get infected with Lycanthropy, Harry." Hermione explained to Harry kindly. She looked at him with a little worry in her eyes but most of her face was closed off, he guessed because of the proximity to the other teens. Harry was happy that he was starting to see the girl that the Patil twins told him about in her eyes.

Granted, Harry did roll his eyes at her. She at least was kind as she tried to school him with incorrect information. "That's not how the 'affliction' works," Harry spoke with derision he directed at Seamus as he did air quotes around that vile word.

"Can you explain that, Harry?" Susan asked calmly. She seemed genuinely curious, rather than scared or judgemental.

Harry sighed slightly as he tried to gather his thoughts. "It's a magical state of being. It adheres to the same laws as the magic that comes out of your wand."

"No different?" Hermione asked with her arms crossed and a thoughtful look as she tried to process and integrate this new information. "That doesn't make any sense Harry. This magical disease and the magic we utilize are too different to be affected by the same rules."

"From your cultural perspective perhaps that is true," He replied to Hermione before turning back to Susan to elaborate since she initially asked him the question. "I've explained before about how magic is all about intent, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Susan replied as she stepped toward Hermione and nudged her quite so that Harry could continue uninterrupted.

"Lycanthropy is the same way. If you treat it like a curse, it will act like a curse," Harry explained simply.

"Conversely, if you treat it as a benefit…it will act like a benefit," Susan continued from Harry's statement. Hermione initially gaped at the exchange before she thoughtfully continued to listen to what Harry was saying with more understanding.

"That is correct. I was raised to see it as the blessing it is. Werewolves are highly prized for their hunting abilities and their protectiveness," Harry was happy to explain the ways of his tribe to these children if it might help them grow.

"How does this stop you from getting infected from wounds?" Susan pressed.

Harry took a moment to try to find a way to explain it without them thinking he was crazy. "Because I don't consider it to be a curse, and neither is Ron by the way, I am protected," Harry tried to make this all make sense. The group seemed to accept that explanation even as Harry found it woefully inadequate, but he had clout so some of the kids just accepted it. He had communed with the Wolf Spirit long ago and, while he was not found to be worthy of the blessing, he was considered a friend of those who did, so he had no worries about being scratched or even bitten. He knew that story would lose him credibility here, so he corralled his tongue.

"That does make some sense I suppose," said Susan after a brief rumination of the statement and a quick glance to Hermione who shrugged slightly but nodded anyway. "We'll accept that explanation for now," Susan replied stiffly, though Seamus seemed to think otherwise.

"But we'll be watching you," Seamus muttered in what he thought was too low for Harry to hear, because he seemed surprised when Harry replied.

"Good to know. I might do a trick," Harry replied snidely but with a truly Marauder grin on his face. Dadfoot would be so proud.

Seamus looked like he wanted to fight, but he was smart enough to not act on it, especially since the heated argument might pull Ron into the conflict and with that recent werewolf thing… Seamus wasn't sure he'd like to tangle with all that. Harry had proven himself as far above their skill level and more than ready to fight. Harry guided Ron out of the courtyard, seeing no point in loitering further. The two boys went to the large restroom further in the castle that had a large showering area next to the restroom.

"Hey Harry," Ron said to get his attention and continued when Harry looked at the redhead, "Thanks mate."

"For what?" Harry asked as he stepped into a shower stall near Ron's and closed the door before stripping off his clothes and draping them over the door.

"For defending me. Even after how much of a git I was to you before," Ron stepped into a different stall and began undressing himself.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Ron," Harry put on his priest voice as he turned on the water. "You've have that and any help I can give with your wolf I'll do my best."

The two lapsed into silence as they each showered. Harry wasn't sure where all the toiletries came from, but it was either one of the adults or the castle itself. They finished quickly enough and dried themselves off before either spoke again.

"Hey Harry?" Ron asked somewhat timidly from his shower stall.

"Yes Ron?" Harry replied as he dried off his back.

"Um. We don't have any clean clothes," Ron said as if he had just noticed.

"Don't you live with like four other brothers?" Harry asked rhetorically. "Nevermind, are you dry?" Harry asked as he moved onto his legs.

"Uh, yeah? Why's that matter?" Ron asked as he wrapped the towel around his hips.

Harry snapped his fingers loud enough for Ron to be able to hear and used his magic to grab some of Ron's clothes and materialize them on Ron's body. He didn't bother doing the snap for his clothes. Ron's relieved sigh in the next stall made him guffaw loudly. They left the shower room and immediately ran into Remus in the hallway.

"Pups! I was just coming to find you two!" Remus greeted them.

"Is uh, something wrong? Sir," Ron asked quietly, tacking the 'sir' on the end. He instinctively deferred to the older man who made him feel like he was in trouble.

"What? No, no," Remus patted Harry's wet hair. "I heard about your fight today…in great detail," Remus sighed.

"From who? I didn't beat up anybody today!" Harry asked, offended that someone was spreading rumors that he was getting into altercations with Seamus.

"Draco mostly, but some of the younger children gave me their rather animated versions," Remus shook his head fondly, knowing that Harry didn't consider 'playing' with another werewolf pup 'fighting'. "I'm glad you helped Ron while I was busy with Arthur," Remus gave Harry a kiss on his mostly dry forehead. Harry smiled and gave Remus a thumbs up and then patted Ron on the shoulder as he spoke. Harry did note that Draco still had zero loyalty.

"How's dad doing, sir?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Better than when he got here, but not completely well," Remus sighed as he scratched at his scalp. "It's going to take time to fix everything here," Remus placed a firm hand on Ron's shoulder. "Right now, worry about yourself above all else. Your family can take care of themselves," Ron nodded at his words.

"Aw. The dogs are finally coming out to play," Andromeda spoke sweetly as she rounded the corner with Bellatrix's arm linked with her own. Harry noted how Bellatrix looked healthier every day.

"Andi. Bella," Remus greeted sweetly and with a smile. Ron dropped his head, though he wasn't sure why. "What are you two up to today?"

"I had to go home and check on things. I convinced Moody to allow me to take Bella with me," Bellatrix smiled as Andromeda spoke of their small adventure.

"Oh yeah? How'd you manage that?" Remus crossed his arms as he asked and Harry had to admit he was also curious as he turned to face his aunts and see what had transpired.

"He's hardly in a state to stop me after taking that cutting curse to his chest," Andromeda used a tone that he had heard Sirius use many times. It was usually a sweet tone that held the edge of a threat of violence. It must be a Black family thing. Harry really liked it.

Remsu smirked, "I have no doubt. Anything interesting happen?"

"Thankfully no. My house is still under Ministry surveillance, but thanks to Harry's fancy crystals," Andromeda nodded pointedly to Harry, "We were able to get in and out without tripping any alert wards." She smiled proudly. Even Bellatrix smiled along with her sister.

"That's good to hear. I was worried when we found out about those wards that it would be too difficult for you to go back home," Remus said and Harry nodded his assent to the statement as well.

Andromeda nodded. "Thankfully, it is not difficult," She waved some envelopes in the air. "I even managed to get letters from my owl."

"Yes, but those aren't addressed to you, darling," Bellatrix spoke sweetly to her sister.

"Who are they addressed to?" Remus asked.

"They're all for Sirius, surprisingly enough," Bellatrix replied first.

"One is from the British Ministry of Magic, one is from the Italian Ministry of Magic, and the last is from Gringotts," Andromeda read off the letter addresses.

"Our Lord Black is really moving up in the world," Bellatrix giggled lightly.

"Ron?" Remus addressed Ron to get his attention. "Why don't you go spend some time with your family? I feel like we're going to be busy for a while," Remus nodded down the hallway where Harry assumed the rest of the Weasley's had gone.

Ron nodded and quickly left them where they stood. Harry watched him as he left when something that had been kicking around his head suddenly made its reappearance.

"Aunt Bella?" Harry asked his recovering aunt sweetly and with a smirk. Aunt Bella was lots of fun when she wasn't all twisted up.

She turned to him, the same smirk on her lips. "Yes, dear nephew?" She spoke just as sweetly as her sisters with just the same amount of danger in her tone.

"I have a question, but you're free to not answer," He said and his smirk slipped off into a concerned look for Bella. He didn't fail to notice the concerned looks Remus and Andromeda shared.

"I appreciate that, Harry. What is your question?" She lost some of her sweetness, but she still sounded kind when she realized that this was going to be a serious talk instead of some lighthearted banter. She was much different than the rage filled witch he first met and he was glad of that.