Chapter - 91 : A Plan for Progress part - 3

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Sirius levitated a dusty bottle of Firewhisky down from one of the kitchen cupboards and poured them both a drink. They clinked glasses and downed the amber liquid in a few gulps. Harry coughed and spluttered at the strong taste, his body unused to alcohol. With that in mind, Harry stuck to just the one glass, leaving Sirius to pour himself another.

"I can hardly believe you've got me advocating patience, but we really can't do much more than what we're already doing. These things take time," Sirius said.

Harry sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just get frustrated sometimes, stuck at Hogwarts and pretending to be just another first year."

"Yeah, how's school going by the way?" Sirius returned Harry's cross look with an innocent one of his own. "What, isn't that a question all parents get to ask?"

Harry rolled his eyes, but began telling Sirius all about his lessons and classmates and the study group he'd formed with students from other Houses. He also described the activities he found rather more enjoyable, such as his pranks on Professor Footswitch and his efforts to turn Draco into less of a whiny brat. This last had Sirius grinning approvingly and making several unhelpful - though amusing - suggestions on how to hurry the process along. Harry laughed along with him, but turned serious when recounting his conversation with Neville.

"… and Neville's magic is really messed up. I can't believe his dad would do that to him," he finished.

"Frank's had a hard life. Alice died and left him to raise Neville alone, which can't have been easy." Sirius sighed and shook his head. "But you're right, that's not really an excuse. There's not much that can be done about it, though. As I've told you before, there aren't really any child protection laws in our world."

"Surely parents aren't allowed to almost drown their kids," Harry said incredulously.

Sirius sighed again. "Surely you've noticed that we wizards have rather dismissive attitudes when it comes to injuries? Things like broken bones aren't viewed as anything more serious than a paper cut – both injuries are just as easy to heal, after all. It's really only magically inflicted damage that's ever permanent. That's why casting harmful spells on a child is strictly forbidden, but what the Longbottoms did to Neville… well, it's not seen as particularly shocking. A lot of wizards and witches would go to even further extremes in order force accidental magic out of their children."

"Please tell me you wouldn't be one of those wizards," Harry said, disturbed by what he was hearing.

"No, of course not!" Sirius sounded genuinely insulted. "I don't agree with that sort of behaviour any more than you do, Orion. I'm just trying to explain why I can't go and arrest everyone who drops their child out of a window or whatever." Then he very obviously tried to change the subject. "How's your friend Hermione doing by the way, you haven't mentioned her much. Is she settling in to Slytherin?"

Harry frowned but followed Sirius' lead. "The older Slytherins hassle her a bit, but nothing unmanageable. I've got most of them convinced she'll grow up to be a force to be reckoned with so they're content to watch and wait for now. She's having a hard time adapting to the Wizarding World though - she's already pissed off quite a few of our classmates."

"Well it's a big culture change to deal with and it's only been a few months so far."

Harry had told himself the same thing many times, but hearing it from someone else made it sound like a weak excuse. "It's just that she's so headstrong and she spends a lot of time with the other muggleborns in our year, who are hardly going to disagree with her ideas. It's as if she's not even trying to adapt at all. At least she seems willing enough to listen to Daphne's hints on proper behaviour, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about those two being friends. Sirius, please be honest, is Melania really trying to force me into an engagement with Daphne?"

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Relax, Orion. I won't let her do that to you - I know you hate the idea of an arranged marriage."

Harry smiled in relief and leaned back in his seat. "You've got that right. Although I've got to say, the Daphne from my old world grew up to be a very attractive witch. I could do worse." Then he frowned. "I suppose I should try not to think about that sort of stuff though. I'm a twenty year old man in an eleven year old's body. Why torture myself?"

Sirius smirked. "I feel for you. I really do."

Harry sent him a withering look but didn't deign to respond to that unsympathetic remark. "I just don't know what to do about Daphne," he said instead. "At least I've got this weekend to sort things out before I have to go back to Hogwarts and see her again. You know, it's ridiculous how a complete lack of any sort of love life can still lead to relationship drama."

Sirius grinned and gave a shrug. "Witches! Can't live with 'em, yet can't live without 'em! Though you know, you'll probably run into Daphne at the Samhain Ball tomorrow evening. Remember? I know I mentioned it in one of my letters. Melania and Arcturus are hosting the thing and I'm sure dear old Grandma won't have passed up the opportunity to invite the Greengrasses and their darling daughters."

Harry's eyes widened in realisation. "So that's what Pansy and Daphne were giggling about earlier. They spent the whole train ride talking about dress robes and dance partners and all that rubbish." He grimaced in distaste. "I'd completely forgotten. Do we really have to turn up? Isn't there any way to get out of it?"

"Only if you don't mind Melania hunting you down and hexing your balls off," Sirius said. "She's made it clear we're both expected to be there. It's not so bad, really," he continued as Harry groaned. "It'll give us an opportunity to make a good impression on all the influential Purebloods who're sure to be invited."

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