"Perenelle, he knows it was a fake."

The mirror shook for a second before a beautiful woman looked out, "Of course he does, Dumbledore's plan could fool what's left of the mind of a sliver of soul, but not a younger Tom. The first Horcrux is always the most dangerous. And it has to be the first horcrux, you saw the power it was giving the rat." Perenelle shuddered, "I hate Horcruxes."

"What do we do about Sirius Black?"

Perenelle looking thoughtful for barely a second, "The ICW should handle him fairly, I say we do nothing. Based off what I've heard, he knows Pettigrew is alive."

"But does he know how dangerous he has become, we shouldn't let him be caught unaware, Riddle has an unhealthy interest in his godson, if we don't act it could come to a head outside our purview, I'd prefer to handle this now."

"Nicholas, we have rules, if we don't follow them you know what's at stake."

Nicholas sighed, "I know, forgive me, but I'd rather have this conversation every time, then forget compassion at all."

Pernelle looked at him before nodding slowly, "It bothers me too, but we can't risk the stone."

Squaring himself up, Nicholas looked into the mirror, "After we resolve this little blunder, we should visit those fine ladies in Magical Madagascar again."

Perenelle laughed musically, "You are such a lecher."

"That's at least a bit of why you love me, you are no better."

Perenelle mused for a second, "We should have them do that thing again, you know what I mean."

"Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean," he said with a laugh.

"So you knew my parents?"

Remus nodded, while Sirius sat quietly.

"And you never stopped by?"

Remus grimaced, "Not by choice."

Sirius nodded silently.

Looking at Sirius, Harry sipped his tea before continuing, "And you know how I was raised?"

Sirius nodded.

"I expect to be spoiled."

Sirius couldn't hold it in any longer, he started to laugh, before turning to Remus, "Look at his grin! Look at that smug grin! He looks just like Lily."

Harry smiled brightly, "Now I have uncles that aren't made of bacon grease. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with that."

Sirius pointed his finger at Harry and waved it, "You made them fat! I saw it with my spell, you are a devious son of a beautiful woman."

Harry's eyes widened, "What spell tells you that!"

"I looked at your anima residue in the house."

"So you know I porked em up with delicious cooking so it was harder for them to catch up to me?"

Sirius started wheezing he was laughing so hard, "Petunia almost divorced Vernon a year after you started that nonsense, she was having an affair instead. I can't believe you, the greatest prank!"

Remus sat there smiling while the conversation rolled on, Harry was, nice. He was smart too with a quick wit, and the kind of sass you can only get from being surrounded by everyone moving slower than you for most of your life. He was interrupted by something that caused him to chuckle despite his musing.

Harry looked at Sirius and said, "Did you know I called him Meat Bucket so much in my head I had to actually explain it to Ron after we became friends at Hogwarts? I was talking about how I hoped the Meat Bucket died while I was at school, and Ron had no idea what I was talking about. I had to explain about how ridiculous they were. I mean they never hit me, they are just assholes. Hermione wanted me to call the police, when I explained how I grew up."

Sirius bristled when he responded, "I mean, she's right. They abused you Harry."

Harry nodded and frowned, "I know, but I'm shot of them now. Let 'em rot, I'd rather not deal with it at all. Just better to forget it all, especially now that I've got uncles who are required to spoil me now."

Sirius smiled softly, "I'm not going to say you should live with either of us when the summer comes, but the offer is open."

Harry nodded, "If it's all the same, I'd rather do what I did this last summer and stay here in school, I'm happy learning. Don't think I don't want holidays though! I've never had a real Christmas, or a real Birthday." His face became serious in a flash he said quietly, "Just, I just want good memories, not an endless rehashing of bad ones. If you want to do right by me, give me today and tomorrow, don't try and fix yesterday."

Remus's eyes widened and he responded gently, "When did you get wise?"

Harry frowned, "When I realized no one else was ever going to care if I failed."

Sirius reached out and put his hand on Harry's, "God, you are so like your mother, they would be so proud of you."

Harry looked up and forced a smile, "Just means you have to stick around so I'll never forget right?"

Sirius sucked in his breath, before he lunged forward wrapping Harry in a hug, "I'm so sorry Harry, I shouldn't have left you that night. I let a lot of people down by not sticking by your side, you most of all, but it cost Remus a lot too."

Harry laughed and cried, "Just, don't wallow, just be here."

"Always!"

Gabrielle Delacour leaned into her sister's side sitting by the fire of the team's meeting room, half asleep while her sister read a book on charms next to her. The team was strewn about the room, Philippe was actually asleep on one of the chairs near them with an untitled book leaning against his chest.

"I wonder what Professor Lupin wanted from Harry," Gabrielle mused.

"He probably wanted to introduce him to his Godfather Sirius Black. Rumor is they used to be lovers," Fleur said offhandedly while not lifting her eyes from the page.

Harry responded from behind them causing them both to start, "It's a bit more complicated than that, but no they were never lovers, but I now have two uncles I actually like. A two hundred percent improvement."

Fleur chuckled throatily causing a shiver to run down Harry's spine before he composed himself, "So I had a stupid question."

Fleur lifted her eyes up from the book, barely looking at Harry, but clearly listening.

Harry took that as his queue, he totally understood why some people didn't get along with Fleur, she was all body language, and rarely said more than was necessary, "So someone said that Veela are creatures to me earlier this year, but I know for a fact that Veela are just as human as I am, unlike say, merpeople, so what creates the distinction?"

Fleur shrugged and nudged Gabrielle before going back to her book, Gabrielle huffed but responded, "Don't mind her, it's simple really, technically werewolves are also magical creatures according to ICW standards. The ICW has specified creatures as anything that affects breeding. An animagus is infertile in its animal form, but a werewolf can have children with wolves. Werewolves don't have werewolf children, but technically they can breed differently. That's basically all the creature distinction means. Veela women have veela girl children, so we are creatures."

Harry shrugged, "I guess that makes sense, but also misleading."

Fleur nodded before joining the conversation, "It's a constant discussion during ICW meetings to simply change the word, because it's problematic."

Harry frowned catching her implication, "I didn't mean to offend Fleur."

Fleur frowned in response before looking up, "I'm sorry Harry, that was unfair of me. You didn't pick the word, you just used it."

Harry shrugged again, "I just figured you'd have more to say on the matter than someone who isn't affected by it."

Fleur closed the book and sat upright, "I forget you are just curious, it's strangely an uncommon trait among magicals. Even though we are far more rewarded for our curiosity than non magicals are. Veela are human, and most creatures are actually, technically the myth of us having a bird form is just that, a myth. Though Veela are predisposed to having a bird animagus form. The reasons are a bit mysterious though."

Harry smiled, "Because it lets us English tell stupid puns."

Fleur laughed brightly, "As if the English need an excuse."

"So mind magic homework, you want to look over what I've done Fleur, Gabby?"

The both nodded, and moved to a table in the corner of the room, going over his writing, and chatting amiably about the week, Harry felt a little odd not having Phillippe part of their discussion, but he didn't want to wake him, he was sleeping so peacefully.

"Oh good, you picked that up right away!" Fleur said smiling.

"What?" Harry asked curiously.

"It's a bit of an anachronism, as you know there are really only three kinds of spells, charms, transfigurations, and for lack of a better term potions, natural magic, or ritual magic, but the anachronism is that curses are recursive. So a curse is a charm, and a charm is the imposition of the casters will on the universe, the difference between a simple charm and a curse is that a curse is constantly evaluating its own state, to make sure the intended effect is still in place. Where as a charm is just fire and forget, and immediately cancelable. What you picked up though, is that a curse is in fact an extension of mind magic, ignoring for a moment that all spellcasting actually is."

Harry grinned, "You going to visit your point any time soon?"

Fleur huffed before poking him in the nose, "None of that sass, you like it when I'm like this. Where was I? Right. When you cast a spell, the incantation binds the intent, or is a shorthand for binding it to the execution of the spell, a curse actually captures the state of your intent, and constantly evaluates it. You understood that already, that you can actually modify a spell by modifying your intent and capturing it in the ambient charm that the curse wraps, which is what makes a good curse breaker so hard to find. They have to feel the intent without triggering the defense mechanisms."

"So you are saying, I get it?"

Fleur nodded, "Yes, your instructor will be pleased."

"Homeworks' done then!" Harry clapped then frowned, "I have no idea what to do with myself now."

Gabrielle started laughing, "You could always just enjoy the fire with us Harry."

Harry looked at the couch where they had been sitting and his discomfort became palpable. Fleur raised an eyebrow before asking, "What's wrong Harry? Most men wouldn't turn down getting comfortable with a couple of Veela, sisters no less." She teased.

Harry smirked with a bit of a grim light in his eyes before he shuddered, "I promised a week ago to you Fleur that I'd be honest with you, but can I just stay quiet for a bit and take you up on the offer instead?"

Fleur shrugged, and Gabrielle grabbed his hand and dragged him to the couch. It wasn't long before Harry had actually fallen asleep with his head in Gabrielle's lap. Gabrielle whispered to Fleur, "He told us how he was raised, but he said he was never hit, just neglected horribly and bullied by his cousin. Why is he always so reluctant to relax?"

"Why don't you ask me?" Harry grumbled sleepily.

Gabrielle laughed, "Okay then Harry, spit it out."

"You can't tell a soul." Harry said earnestly.

"Of course." Gabrielle said while running his hands through his hair.

"Professor Quirrell used legilimency on me last year to hurt me, when we were fighting over the Philosopher's stone he got into my mind, I have good memories of Mrs. Figgs, she'd let me sit in front of the fire and pet her cats, and sing to me until I fell asleep. Quirrell twisted that memory." Harry had tears in his eyes at that point, "I know the difference between the real and fake memory, but the fake one, makes me uncomfortable."

Fleur sighed, "You know that can be fixed right?"

Harry laughed, "Yes I know, but I'm carrying the memory on purpose, it's been very motivating on learning how to defend my mind. Sometimes a scar tells us not to make the same mistake. And I kind of like my mind how it is, it led me here right? And it's not like I'm not sitting with my head in a Veela's lap so I can't be making too many bad decisions," he said with a smirk.

"Keep that wit with you Harry, and you get to roll over one day," Gabrielle teased.

Harry laughed, "Today I'm just happy to have friends, let's not make things too complicated yet."

Fleur hummed pleasantly, "And you are a good friend."

"You only say that because I bribed you with that excellent birthday present."

Fleur flashed him a smile, "I'll admit, it was very thoughtful, if you were a little older I'd question your intentions. The necklace is quite beautiful and very practical too."

Harry ruffled up a bit and said drolly, "You can question my intentions all you like, just as long you don't mind them."

Fleur started cackling, "Never change Harry."

Peter sat in the armchair humming to himself, while sipping on a glass of wine. The journal was hissing at him, but for a moment he pretended not to hear. It had been a month and change tracking down Nicholas Flamel and losing him so quickly had frustrated him, now it was time to enjoy being human again. Tom Riddle's journal didn't mind him taking a break, the younger Tom was comparatively much more sane than the one he had taken the Dark Mark from.

The finer things, that was what Peter had traded for his Mark. He gave up his friends to the Dark Lord and he gained wealth, the money he had acquired he could now finally enjoy. Accounts ratted away in the many corners of Europe under so many aliases. Tom wasn't complaining, Peter had funded a search, and had been feeding the journal with soul energy, but not too much, he knew the Dark Magic there, and wanted to be around to be rewarded for his loyalty. Tom was amused at his cunning, it was a strange thing working for a Dark Lord that could appreciate irony, Voldemort never could.

The music in the room was soft and Peter went over his options, he could continue to search after Flamel, or he could get clever. It might be easy to draw the Flamel's out of hiding, if he threatened their school, after all Beauxbatons was founded by them, and the Basilisk was quite the weapon to wield. He could bring something else too though, something even better. He smiled to himself.

He continued to hum, his feet resting on the ottoman, imagining the power he would wield if he succeeded.

"Mr. Potter, what are the three kinds of magic?"

"Charms, Transfigurations, and Natural Magic sometimes referred to as Ritual magic."

"Very good, and what is the distinction between them?"

"Charms impose the will of the caster on the universe without changing the underlying matter or energy, we just make it appear as if it has changed. A color charm makes the universe think the color of something is red, but the color is still blue, unlike Transfiguration which makes the color actually Blue, Natural magic is a bit harder to classify as it can mean anything from the magic of the seasons to the magic of a potion, or anything where there is some sort of ambient magical property which acts on the world around it."

"Good, good. Give me an example of each."

Harry grinned before responding, "The Animagus Transformation."

His instructor laughed, "Very clever, yes the animagus combines all three. It's not a perfect transfiguration, as you maintain your human mind, its not just a charm as you do change parts of your body, and its natural magic because only humans are capable of the animagus transformation, merpeople cannot, as well as various other races like giants. But it is important to note, this does not apply to humans who are also classified as creatures, Veela, Werewolves and others of note are quite capable of it. Though the difficulty for a werewolf precludes most of them from actually accomplishing it."

Harry zoned out a bit after that, as the instructor carried on, he loved Spell Theory, but this material was a bit behind where he had been just naturally at Hogwarts. Of course it was first year material, but he had to do a bit of catch up, thankfully Spell Theory 1 was only a quarter long, he would take both Spell Theory 1 and 2 in his first year here. In fact his course schedule was overloaded in many ways because of that, the Headmistress had insisted on it being that way, thankfully his next class today was Mind Magics.

So far everything was going just so well at Beauxbaton part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Getting to know his honorary uncles had been wonderful, sadly Sirius would have to leave soon, but he wouldn't go until after Halloween, which was only a week away at this point. His life had changed so much so quickly, and he couldn't be happier for it.

Of course he missed Hermione and Ron, but it was bearable, it was quiet here, no one noticed him and they treated him just like anyone else. The normalcy was wonderful. Gabrielle poked him in the side and he suddenly realized that class had ended, smiling sheepishly he followed her out into the hallway.

"Where'd you go Harry?" She said with a touch of amusement.

"I was visiting Hogwart's for a bit, was thinking about Ron and Hermione," a glint of something a mix between longing and happiness passed over his face.

She smiled while pulling him along the hallway, he had gotten used to that, she liked to move when they talked.

"Hermione said she would visit in the summer right?"

Harry shrugged, "She did say she would try, I just wonder what's she's up to without me, her letters have been light, which doesn't surprise me, her first love is school after all. Apparently it's been quiet at Hogwart's so far. Though Ron did complain about losing his pet rat Scabbers, I'm sure he'll get over it, the thing was ancient it probably just finally decided to find somewhere quiet to move on." Harry laughed grimly, "But what about you Gabrielle? I heard your father was getting a promotion?"

She smiled, "Yes he is going to be the ICW consultant for the French Aritificer's guild. Since many of the more complicated problems of maintaining the Statute of Secrecy come from magical items, it's considered one of the more important consultant positions."

"Sounds like a lot of work?" Harry puzzled.

"It will be, he avoided the promotion previously when I wasn't in school yet. But now that I'm out most of the year, he took the chance." She shrugged noncommittally.

"Still though, both of your parents are pretty successful, what with your mother being the Veela ambassador to the ICW, I guess it makes me wonder what you want to do when you finish your education."

Gabrielle looked at him and smirked, "Fleur has plans, I'm not quite like her, I have a few things I want but I'm not sure a career is one of them."

Harry stared at her and blinked for a few seconds while he puzzled over her response, "That's not much of an answer Gabrielle."

She smiled, "Tell me that in a decade."