Harry waited anxiously in the squeaky chair in the waiting room of the Ministry Apprenticeship office. He nervously fidgeted, wondering what auror he would be apprenticed to. He desperately wanted to be in the apprenticeship of Tonks… they had always gotten along well enough anyhow, but thought that Kingsley wouldn’t be half bad either. He’d put the forms in three days after he’d graduated, knowing that Tonks was in the market for a new apprentice. Surely since he’d been called in after only a week, he would be placed with her.

He wasn’t sure just what kind of magical bond it was that would be placed on him and Tonks… or his other Auror Master, but Hermione had told him that the bond between Apprentice and Master was unbreakable, and could only be given up by the Master. This was to ensure that only when the Master was satisfied with the Apprentice’s work that he or she would be released into the working world, fully capable and trained.

“What are you in for?”

Harry turned to the girl next to him. “Excuse me?”

“What apprenticeship are you going for?”

“Oh,” Harry said, wiping his sweaty hands on his best black slacks. “Auror.”

“Wow,” she said. “That sounds like such a scary job! I couldn’t imagine.”

Harry took her in, noticing that she wasn’t from his year in school. “What are you going for then? When did you graduate Hogwarts?”

“Oh, I want to be an apothecary. I always liked brewing potions. I was three years ahead of you in Hufflepuff. I had to wait to pass some more NEWTS in order to meet the Apothecary requirements.”

“Which ones were required for that apprenticeship?” Suddenly Harry was glad for the conversation to get his mind off of waiting. He didn’t like being anxious. He hadn’t been this anxious since he’d been sitting around in his dormitory waiting for the attack on the castle to begin in his sixth year.

“Well, Potions of course, and then Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense and Arithmancy.”

“Mine too… those are the same for the Auror’s Program. My friend made me sign up for Arithmancy my fifth year… I was behind so she spent ages tutoring me.”

“Bet you’re glad though, because now you got accepted into your program.”

“Yeah,” Harry admitted, suddenly very thankful that Hermione had stayed up all night with him three days a week for two years catching him up. “I sure lost a lot of sleep over it though,” he added thoughtfully.

“Jennifer Diggle!” The receptionist was calling and the girl Harry was talking to rose from her seat.

“Wish me luck!” Harry smiled and nodded.

“Good luck. See you around.”

She smiled and moved off to accept the parchment the receptionist was trying to give her. Jennifer took it, gave a slightly confused look, but then was back to smiling as she moved off and out to the rest of the Ministry.

“Harry Potter!” The receptionist wasted no time in calling Harry’s name.

“Here you are Mr. Potter,” she told him as he stood and went to her. “Now before you take this parchment, you understand that once you are apprenticed you are under the full authority of your Master?” Harry nodded, realizing that she had said ‘he’ meaning he had definitely not been placed with Tonks. “Only he can release you from your duties. A magical bond will be formed between the two of you upon your acceptance of this parchment.” She held it just out of his reach until he nodded and said that he understood and would accept the responsibility.

“Very good then Mr. Potter. Here is the location of where you are to meet your Master.” She handed him the parchment and Harry felt his hands tingle as soon as he touched it. No wonder the girl had looked confused for a moment.

Harry looked down at the parchment as the receptionist went back to her desk. The address was 42 St. Bedes Ave, Blackpool.

“Wait,” he said to stop her. “Who am I with?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Potter, but I’m not privy to that knowledge. All they give me is your name and an address. You’ll meet your master there and go on assignment.”

Harry nodded. That made sense. They wanted to get him out on assignment with the aurors right away. There had probably been some magical crime there in Blackpool and they wanted him there to help. “Thanks,” he said, and strode out.

Once he was up on the street level he focused his attention to apparating himself to Blackpool. He’d never apparated that far before. To be exact he hadn’t apparated much at all until a few weeks ago when he passed his Apparation test and got his license.

Concentrating hard he imagined scrunching himself up into a ball and appearing in an alley in Blackpool. He felt his entire body squeeze uncomfortably and when he opened his eyes again he was in a dark, quiet alley behind some kind of Muggle shopping center.

He looked down at the parchment clutched in his hand again. He’d never been to Blackpool before and had no idea where St. Bedes Ave was.

Harry made his way to the main street and asked a man carrying a bag of groceries, “Sorry, but do you know where St. Bedes Ave is?”

He shook his head as he walked by. “Sorry, no.”

Harry approached a woman with a screaming child next. “Do you know where St. Bedes Ave is?”

She thought as she held the small child tightly so that he wouldn’t fall from her arms as he squirmed. “Hm,” she said. “We’re on Lytham… follow this North ‘til you hit Waterloo and take a left. Bedes is on the right.”

“Thanks,” he said gratefully, and moved off. It didn’t seem like a bad place, and if it had been closer to the Ministry Harry might have gotten a flat in Blackpool.

Harry found his way to Waterloo Road and then found St. Bedes Ave not far down it on the right. He pulled out his parchment again and started looking for number 42. This street was not nearly as busy as the one he had just left. There were a few shops but they looked older. Harry came to the next cross street without finding the address he was looking for. Confused, he found himself at the corner of St. Bedes and St. Bedes… thinking he may have the wrong street he turned right and continued on his search. Now there were large brick buildings on one side of the street and a few more small shops on the others. Harry watched the numbers as he went past. 34, 36, 38, 40, 44… wait, where was 42? Harry squinted around him and after a moment saw the shop squeezed in between 46 and 48… it was definitely magical. It had a small window in the front and read “Apothecary.”

“Hm…” maybe there had been a magical accident or something and the aurors needed his help fixing it? No, but that was for the magical reversal squad to do. Harry pushed the shop door open and found a single dusty counter in the front. There were a few shelves lined with dusty bottles of tonic and other things behind it. It looked as if the shop had not been up kept in a very long time.

“Hello?” Harry wondered where his Master was or if perhaps he had shown up early.

“Come into the back,” came a muffled voice from a door that Harry had not yet noticed behind the counter.

Wary of if perhaps this was a test to see how prepared he was, Harry pulled out his wand and cautiously made his way to the back room.

A man with black billowing robes had his head in a cabinet and seemed to be organizing things. “Are you my apprentice?” Hearing the voice better, Harry didn’t like what he heard. It sounded a little too familiar.

“Professor?”

Suddenly Severus Snape’s head popped out of the cabinet and he stood straight, his lip curling at the sight of Harry. “What are you doing here Potter?” He sounded annoyed, as usual.

Harry held up his parchment with the address to show the Potion’s Master. “The Apprenticeship office gave me this… they said I was supposed to meet an auror here for my training…” Even as Harry said this his stomach felt queasy.

“No aurors here Potter. Now get out.”

Harry didn’t move and Snape sneered at him. “Don’t just stand there Potter. Move!” He pushed his way past Harry and Harry finally moved so that he could get through. There wasn’t much room in the back room because it was filled with boxes and other things scattered about.

“I think there’s been a mistake,” Harry said, feeling lightheaded.

“Obviously Potter,” Snape spat. “But that’s not my problem now is it?”

Snape looked up at Harry again and put his hands on his hips. He held out his hand for the parchment, thinking that if he acted like he cared Potter might actually get out of his shop. As soon as he took the parchment however his hands tingled and he froze in place.

“This is where they told me to come sir,” Harry said quietly. “I was supposed to be with an auror… there was this girl next to me… she said she was going to be an apothecary… they called her up before me. I think there’s been a terrible mix-up.”

Severus rolled his eyes. “What have you done Potter?” Though his voice was low Harry could feel the anger radiating from the man. “You have gone and apprenticed yourself to me!?” He threw the paper down.

“But you can just release me from the apprenticeship and I can go back and try again!” Harry thought quickly out loud, hopeful that this was indeed the case.

“Think again Potter. By magical contract and law I can only do so after you have met my standards for the job of apothecary!” He spat this out at him in a fury.

“What about the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad?” Harry asked frantically. “This was all a mistake… I didn’t mean to be your apprentice! Can’t they undo the magic?”

Snape shook his head. “This is old magic Potter and in order for you to get the paper you had to agree to the binding magic, which means the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad cannot help.”

Harry groaned. “Well, all right then. How long does this sort of apprenticeship usually take?” Harry thought that he could handle a few weeks of this if it meant he could go back and get an auror apprentiship eventually.

“Generally between two and four years Potter.” Harry groaned again. He had just finished four years of Potions with the poisonous man… he didn’t think he could handle even another two.

“And what if I quit and break the bond?”

Snape eyed him wearily, thinking that it would be a better alternative to spending any amount of time with Harry Potter. “Death,” he said simply.

Harry’s breath caught in his chest. Somebody else was off doing his apprenticeship and he was stuck there with Severus Snape, Dungeon bat.

“You can’t even run an apothecary,” Harry said. “You work at Hogwarts!”

“Correction Potter, I own this apothecary and run it during the summer months. While I am away at Hogwarts my apprentice runs it. My old apprentice has just finished her apprenticeship which is why you are here.”

Harry shook his head angrily and stormed out of the room. He was almost to the door to the front when Snape called after him, “You are under bondage to me now and must do as I say or else you will die!”

Despite the warning Harry exited out onto the street, muttering under his breath, “We’ll see about that.”

"Really? I can live there?"

Snape nodded. "It is always given to my apprentice... I was not sure if you lived on your own, but when no one came looking for you..."

"Nobody knows I'm your apprentice except the girl who got my apprenticeship... everybody thinks I'm an auror."

"You lied?"

"No, I just didn't go back to Ron's house and I didn't tell them what I was doing. I was going to tell them the day of the accident."

"Hm... do you plan on doing so now?"

The question struck Harry as odd; why did Snape even care? He shrugged figuring it was a good enough answer for him considering that his personal life really was none of Snape's business.

Harry's shrug seemed to tell Snape just that, to butt out, so he left Harry in the storeroom going over the inventory of stocked ingredients.

Now that he had an apartment, Harry knew he'd have to tell Ron where he was staying because he'd have to go back to the Burrow to get his things. He didn't enjoy living in the same two pairs of clothes every day, and wanted his things back, especially since he had just spent a bundle on new clothes a few weeks ago after he'd finished up at Hogwarts.

He still hadn't finished the inventory at five that evening so he marked his place on the eight-foot long scroll of parchment and headed for the door. Snape appeared before he could make his exit out onto the street however and held out a pair of keys.

"The small one is to the shop door, the large one is to the apartment. There is also a door into the apartment from the outside of the building in the alley in the back. I would prefer you use that door when bringing company in so that important potions are not disturbed."

Harry nodded. "Got it. Thanks." He tried to ignore the uncomfortable look Severus gave him as he walked off with the keys. It was a look that told Harry he was worried that he might come home stumbling drunk with a gang of hooligan friends and trash the shop. Harry shrugged it off and apparated to the Burrow when he was sure nobody on the street was looking.

Having been told not to knock, Harry strolled in the back door to the Burrow, and found Ginny and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen.

"Harry dear! We've been so worried! How has training been for you?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Er, interesting? I'm not in the auror apprenticeship program. They made a mistake and my apprenticeship got given to somebody else."

Ron walked into the kitchen and leaned against the wall to hear Harry's story. "So you're not apprenticed at all? Where've you been then mate?"

His stomach squirmed as he tried to figure out how to say it just the right way. "No, I got apprenticed, but you won't like it when you find out where they put me."

Mrs. Weasley stopped stirring her stew to listen and Ron raised his brows. "Well, go on then, it can't be that bad... did you get put in the department for magical sports or something?"

Harry shook his head. "They apprenticed me to an apothecary."

"What? That's going to be so boring though!"

Harry shrugged, "I haven't really done anything yet except clean and tend shop... and end up in Mungo's."

"Are you alright?" Ginny took half a step towards him. Harry had somehow managed to escape serious injury during the final battle with Voldemort, and now the entire Weasley clan was on edge about him getting any kind of injury at all after surviving what he had.

"Yeah, fine. I just got shorter was all... and a bit younger," he added in at the last second.

"How young?" Ron asked.

"I was eight."

Ron sniggered and Mrs. Weasley looked disapproving. "How on earth did that happen?" she asked.

"I knocked over an anti aging potion and the whole thing dumped on my head."

"Well, maybe being an apothecary isn't so boring," said Ron. "Who's your master?"

"Er... well that's the part you won't like."

Mrs. Weasley stirred the stew again as she thought and said, "Well as far as I know there are only 12 apothecaries in the UK... I haven't been to most of them. There's the one in Diagonalley, and the one in Hogsmead, two in London, one in Blackpool..."

"That one," Harry said, wondering how long they'd let him dance around the subject.

"Well who runs that one? I can't remember now."

"Snape," Harry said, scratching the back of his head again.

"Ha ha Harry, really funny you are... you're starting to sound like Fred and George." Ron looked relieved suddenly thinking Harry was only joking, but when Harry didn't say anything else his eyes widened. "Seriously? They put you with that bat?"

Harry shrugged. "I got a really nice apartment," he said, trying to change the subject.

"That's nice Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to help, "is it in Blackpool as well, or did you find something in London?"

"Blackpool on St. Bedes Ave. It came furnished and everything... it's actually right above the shop and I get it free of rent until I'm done."

Ginny grinned. "Can we see it?"

"Don't be rude Ginny, it's not nice to invite yourself places!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Yeah, sure," Harry said, proud that he had such a nice place to show everybody. "I'd been searching all over for something cheap but everything I found was trashy. I'm glad I have this place."

"When can we see it?" Ginny asked. Ron remained silent against the wall looking appalled that Harry was living above Snape's shop.

"Anytime," Harry said. "We can go now if you want."

"If you stay for dinner then we can all go afterwards," Mrs. Weasley said. "Arthur is away for a few days for the Ministry so it's just the three of us here."

Harry nodded, "Sounds good."

After dinner the four of them apparated to St. Bedes Ave, Mrs. Weasley apparating Ginny since she wasn't old enough to do it herself yet.

It was dark, and Harry had to admit that the alley off of St Bedes... well, even St Bedes looked a little dodgy, especially at night.

"Figures Snape's shop would be here," Ron muttered under his breath, to a disapproving look from his mother.

"The shop is actually pretty nice," Harry said. The entrance to the apartment is down the side alley though and up some stairs. He lead them around to the side and then up the stairs to the second floor to the intricately carved wooden door; the only door on the landing.

Harry fumbled with his keys for a moment in the darkness, and then let them all in and waved up the lights with his wand.

"Blimy Harry, Snape let you have this?"

"Yep," Harry nodded, deciding to exclude the part about Snape only giving it to him because he felt guilty for not feeding him as an eight year old.

"How many rooms Harry?" Ron was now looking up at the high ceiling and admiring it.

"I don't know. I haven't really had a chance to explore it yet. So far he had seen the kitchen, the couch, and the bathroom. There were other doors, but he hadn't been allowed in there as a small child.

Together they opened the various doors, and Harry found a large bedroom with a king sized bed with a black comforter, and a smaller bedroom behind what he had previously assumed was a closet door, this one with a queen sized bed, a desk, and a closet.

"Two bedrooms then," Ron hedged, and Ginny gave her brother a knowing look. Ron did not want to remain living at home, but could not afford rent on his own at this point. Harry knew this, and shrugged, and said. "I just figured you'd move in with me when I got my own place... you know, unless you and Hermione-" He faltered when he saw the sharp look Mrs. Weasley sent him, and then finished with, "you know, unless you and Hermione were wanting to live in the same city."

"Really, you mean I can move in?"

Harry nodded. "I'd have to ask Snape you know, and he may say no. But you know even if you can't move in with me, you'll always have a couch to sleep on."

Ron nodded. "I still need to get a job first so I can pay for food and everything, and I reckon by the time you ask Snape about me moving in I might have one."

Plopping down on the couch next to Ginny as Mrs. Weasley began casting cleaning charms in the kitchen cupboards to get rid of some of the dust, Harry asked, "Have any leads yet?"

"No. I was going to work for Fred and George, but business has been down a little... you know how it is. They say they can't afford to pay for help right now. And I have applications in at the Ministry, but they seem full up too.

"What about becoming an Auror's apprentice?"

"Maybe, but I reckon I've had enough of wizard hunting for a while. I'll do that as a last resort... maybe in a few years when you finish up here and try for Auror again."

Running a hand through his hair, Harry nodded. "Yeah, well that's going to be a long wait." Even a year would be a long wait, but three or four? Snape was definitely being nicer to him now, but Harry just didn't know if he could handle the man for that long.

* * *

The Weasley's came and went over the next few days, helping Harry get moved in and helping him with various magical cleaning and changing spells, helping him change the colors of some of the walls, and other things. Harry found that white and beige walls throughout the entire apartment made the whole place feel just a little too sterile for him. So now the kitchen had some deep yellow beige in it, and his bedroom had an entire red wall behind the head of his bed, which went nicely with the darker shade of beige they had spelled up there.

Mrs. Weasley had been kind enough to add nice brown pillows and a soft red and gold patchwork quilt to the couch, as well as supply Harry with some old dishes and silverware, and numerous other things needed when living on his own.

"I'm just going to miss you so much Harry!" She had cried when it was time to leave Wednesday night. He had told her of course that he would still visit often and that they were all welcome in his home any time.

It was Friday now and Harry was looking forward to the weekend to himself in his new apartment as he tended shop. He had just finished wiping down the counter, and had a grin on his face at the thought of his new home when the bell above the door rang and a woman slightly older than Harry walked in.

He looked up, and couldn't help a grin from spreading over his face. "Jennifer," he said, leaning on the counter as she walked over.

"I was curious to see if you regained your age... I don't know if you remember or not, but I saw you in St. Mungo's when you were... smaller."

"Yeah, I remember. I thought you were a princess."

She raised a brow. "You did?"

Harry nodded. "How's Auror training going?"

"There's a lot of physical exercise every day, and we have a stack of books we have to memorize by October when we take our first year exams."

"Yeah? What all do the exams include? Just things from the books or practical as well?"

"There's a written exam, a physical exam where we have to run an obstacle course while chasing a suspect, and a practical exam, where we're given a mock scenario and are left with the other apprentices to take care of the problem ourselves."

"That sounds great," Harry said, eager to hear more.

"Great? It's a lot of hard work."

"Oh yeah, but it's got to be fun too! I mean, you just can't get a better job than making the world safer... keeping your family and friends safe and knowing you did good at the end of the day."

"I can think of a better one," she sighed, "and you're doing it."

He grinned and felt his cheeks turning a little hot. "Well, it's not really as bad as I thought at first. Fun even if you don't get potion's spilled on your head. But I'd still love to be out doing what you're doing."

"You can borrow some of my books if you like. I'm done with three of them. One is a policy manual for the department, one is an exercise manual, and the third is a defensive tactics manual."

"Really? I'd love to have a look, or if you give me the titles I can go buy them myself."

Suddenly Harry noticed the odd look she was giving him. It wasn't a bad look, just a curious one.

"You would really go to the trouble studying a job that isn't yours to have?"

"It's not my occupation yet, but as soon as I'm done here, it will be. I want to be ready for it. This way I'll have a head start." He paused, and then said, "Maybe I can show you some things too. Master Snape has lent me a few books on potions, and one on business. I've got the business one down, and he told me I won't have a test until December, so I've got a while to read the potion's ones. I'm already halfway through healing potions."

"So... a deal then? I'll study with you, and you'll study with me?"

"If that's what you want. I have an apartment upstairs. My friend wants to move in with me, but it will be a while before he does, if Master Snape permits, so it's nice and quiet up there. And I have most of Saturday and all of Sunday off."

"I have Friday and Sunday off, and I get off every night at five."

"So, a study date then?"

She smiled and he noticed her cheeks tinge red a little as well. "Yes, I suppose it is that. I'll see you Sunday morning and we'll get started."

"Great."

Jennifer left, and Harry couldn't shake the feeling that with her beauty, she really was a princess. He had a good feeling about this, and let his anticipation about Sunday carry him through the rest of his day, and all through the night.

He smiled a little sheepishly and said, "Yeah. Colors give it away?"

She smiled warmly back at him. "That, or maybe it's the giant Gryffindor coat of arms painted on the ceiling.

Harry looked up and flushed. He hadn't seen that there, but figured now that it was Ron's addition while Harry went to the bathroom the night before just before his friend had left. "Guess my friend Ron did that last night when I wasn't watching him properly."

"It's a nice touch." There was an awkward moment of silence before Harry asked her to sit down at the square kitchen table with tall chairs, and indicated a stack of Potions books he was willing to lend her.

"Here are mine, and I added the fourth one..." she told him, "I'll need that one back next month. We aren't scheduled to start reading it until then, but in the mean time you can read it."

"I'll start with that one then."

"Sounds good, just so that you know I can't help you with it yet."

"I'll keep it in mind."

They spent the morning going over the basics of each of the text books, both finding it a good review for themselves to lead the other through the material they already knew, and both being excited to be learning new information from the other.

"You'll be a useful study partner when exams come around," she told Harry as he got up and pulled a plate of Molly's leftovers out of the fridge and brought them over to her with an empty plate and two forks.

"Yeah, reckon so. My friend Hermione made us study all the time for exams so I guess I picked up some good habits."

"Where is she now?"

"She got a job in a magical research firm in London... it's run by some ex-ministry member who used to belong to the Department of Mysteries. She's excited about helping to create new magic, but I think she'll be happiest when she can eventually get a job teaching at Hogwarts."

"After seven years there she wants to go back?"

Harry shrugged. "To each his own? Look at us, you want to be an apothecary, a job I think would be dreadful, and I want to be an Auror, which is the job you think is dangerous."

"Honestly, I just don't know how this could happen to us."

"Maybe we're just meant to start a super hero gang of apothecary crime fighters who experiment with magic and teach others how to do it?"

She gave a short laugh accompanied by an incredulous look. "And your friend Ron, where does he fit in?"

"Not sure yet. He says he might try for Auror when I give it a go again. I think he'd be happy in Magical Games and Sports but there aren't any openings right now."

After lunch they studied for a short while longer before Harry asked, "Is there anything practical you can teach me? I can do the reading and exercise on my own, but what about the practice?"

"We've been learning multiplied shield charms. These are useful when you're with at least one other person in a battle situation. Both or multiple parties pour their magical energy into a single shield in order to strengthen it. Then once it has been made stronger, all but one party releases their magic and the one person left maintains the power that has been poured into it."

"Sounds like fun," Harry said, sitting forward eagerly. "Can we try it?"

"We can try, but I'm not very good at it. We've been at it for weeks and I can't seem to get it."

"Go over the details with me and we'll work on it."

For the next two hours Harry and Jennifer struggled with the spell until they finally managed to create a multiplied shield, and finally Harry was able to maintain it by himself when Jennifer released it.

"I'm exhausted," she said, falling back onto the couch when Harry released the shield.

"Yeah, but it was good practice right? We both got it!"

"I can do a two person shield. Wait until you have to learn to conform and twist your magic to match three or four or more people's."

"If I invite Ron over, will you practice it with both of us?"

"Yes, but it will have to be on a Sunday again, because I'm too pooped after eight hours of training any other day."

"Got it. I'll ask him. And after we get it together with the three of us we can get Hermione or Ginny."

"There's a new name. Who is she?"

"Ron's younger sister. This year will be her last year at Hogwarts."

She eyed him curiously for a few minutes and then said, "There was something there between you, wasn't there?"

Harry bit his lip and flushed a little, before he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "We dated my sixth and seventh year."

"And now?"

"I'm not really sure. We are and kind of aren't at the same time. I'm not sure what will happen when she goes back to Hogwarts... she might decide she likes somebody her own age."

"Do you still like her?"

Harry turned red again and nodded.

"Oh, so you more than like her? I bet you love her don't you?"

"Why are you so interested?" he asked, knowing Hermione would kick him in the shins if she were there. Did she like him too?

"Just curiosity was all. I wanted to know more about my study partner who thinks I'm a princess and thinks exhausting shield charms are fun."

"Oh. What about you then?"

"There's a boy in the program that I like a little, but I haven't a clue if he likes me."

"Who is he?"

"Draco Malfoy, I think he was in your year?"

Harry raised his brows a little and by the way he fidgeted Jennifer could tell she'd raised his ire as well.

"I take it you know him?"

"We were kind of on the outs at school. He applied to be an Auror?"

"Got in with high marks from what I hear. He does pretty well on the weekly exams. He's apprenticed to Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Huh," was all that Harry could manage to muster.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just wish I was there in the auror program. I can't really imagine doing much else except flying maybe on a team."

"Well, maybe someday you'll finish here and get apprenticed to me! I'll be an auror by then."

Harry grinned. "Now that would be something wouldn't it?"

* * *

Potter was in an inexplicably good mood Monday morning, Severus noted as the boy mopped with a bounce in his step, and smiled at each customer, taking extra care to bid them a good day.

"I take it something monumental has changed in your life Potter, or is the apartment just that wonderful?"

"Sir?"

"Your mood leaves nothing to be desired compared to your attitude four weeks ago."

Harry shrugged. "I learned some new spells was all."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I learned a multiplied shield charm and some other stuff."

"And from whom did you learn this?"

Harry bit his lip. He could tell that he had peaked Snape's interest now, and suddenly wondered if he had done something wrong by learning the tricks of another trade.

"Jennifer, that girl that got my apprenticeship... she came over Sunday and we exchanged some books."

"Am I to understand that you loaned her your apprenticeship books, that I gave to you to learn Potter?"

"Well I read two of them sir, and it's only for a short time. We just wanted to look at the others books."

"To what purpose?" Snape asked as he directed Harry to chop up some ingredients on the middle table in the lab.

"So that I can become an Auror." Harry would have thought that was obvious, but apparently not.

"You are studying to become an apothecary."

"Yeah, well right now I am. I mean when I'm done here in four years. This way I'll be ready for the Auror Program too and she'll be ready for the Apothecary apprenticeship."

"And you honestly believe that after four years of training to become an Auror she will settle for Apothecary?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. But we're helping each other study both apprenticeships in the mean time. She's tutoring me in what she's learning so she's reviewing in a way, and I'm doing the same for her."

"And what happens when I ask you to brew me a class three burn salve?"

Here Severus was sure he'd caught the boy, because his potions had always turned out abysmal in class, no doubt from lack of studying, but Harry stood up straight and stopped his chopping. "I can do it sir."

"Then do so now. If you fail to produce a viable potion, you will cease and desist in studying Auror books until you can pass your first exam in December. Understood?"

"Yes sir." He said it with such a confidence that for a moment Severus actually believed the boy would brew the potion properly.

"With no instructions Potter. From memory."

"Yes sir."

Three hours later, Harry set the tin of burn salve on the counter next to Severus as a customer left and Severus looked down on it. It was certainly the right color, and they had none in stock, meaning that Harry couldn't have taken some and passed it off as his own.

"Place some on your bare arm Potter."

Harry did so and nothing happened. After a moment Severus used a rag to wipe the salve off. The skin was unblemished. Any mistake in this potion would have actually burned the skin worse.

"This is acceptable. And your study arrangement with your friend will remain so as long as your studies in Potions do not diminish from today's performance."

"Thank you sir," Harry said, grinning because he had done well.

"Speaking of your performance, your assistance is needed tomorrow evening for a difficult task." When Severus saw that he had Harry's full attention, he continued, "Tomorrow night is the second full moon after summer solstice. There is a rare plant that only blooms under these conditions, and must be collected between midnight and three am."

"Where do we go to collect it?"

"There are some mountains north of here that we will apparate to. You are to wear clothing you do not mind getting soiled, as we will be spending most of the night on our hands and knees in the dirt." Snape paused and pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to Harry. "You are also to familiarize yourself with this plant. The Ignea Horus species is delicate and must be handled with a certain amount of care. The details are on the back of this card, and whilst we are out collecting the plant you are to keep it with you at all times."

Harry scanned the card and found a fair amount of information crammed on the back. The picture on the front displayed a small purple flower with a black stem spotted with gray flecks.

True to his word, Harry found himself on all fours the next night in some distant, dark, lonely mountains, searching for the purple flower. It was chilly out and Harry was glad he'd had the foresight to put on a jacket, even if it was a light one.

"What are the names of these mountains again sir?" Harry asked as he plucked up one of the tiny flowers by the roots and put it in the magical sack slung over his shoulder, made to keep the flowers fresh.

"To wizards they are known as the Frems. They are densely packed with all manner of magical herbs and ingredients."

"These are in the Forbidden Forest too aren't they?" Harry asked as he plucked two more up from behind a large tuft of grass jutting out behind a tree. He sat up and smacked his head on a low hanging limb, and cursed softly, wishing they were allowed to use their wands for light instead of just having moonlight to go off of. Unfortunately they would ruin the plant if any artificial light fell on them.

"And how would you know this?"

"We saw some the night-" Harry paused, very aware that he and Ron weren't supposed to be out in the Forest at all, let alone by themselves at night as students at Hogwarts.

"Yes?"

"Never mind," Harry said, wondering if he could get into any trouble at this point for old school offenses.

"Oh no, do tell Potter. What were you doing in the Forest at night when you were still a student?"

Harry bit his lip once and then said, "The night Ron and I followed a trail of spiders into the Forest to find Aaragog, Hagrid's giant spider."

"You searched out acromantula's?"

"It was in our second year. But Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia came out of nowhere and saved us."

Severus eyed him from his knees across the clearing, and Harry was sure if there was enough light he would have seen the glare that he felt.

"Wonders never cease," he muttered under his breath. "The boy who lives to put himself in danger is my apprentice."

"Who can brew pretty well," Harry added indignantly.

"Even so. I believe it is a good thing that you did not get placed in the Auror program, for your own safety."

Harry blew some air up at his bangs to get them out of his eyes and was just about to retort when a not so distant howl rent the night. They froze.

"Sir," Harry whispered just loud enough for Severus to hear. "There aren't... werewolves out here are there?" He could see Snape's rigid form, body alert and wand out.

"Yes, but that was no werewolf."

"What then-" Another howl cut him off, and he knew that Snape was right. It sounded almost, human, and it was coming closer.

"Keep your wand out Potter. Do not apparate, no matter what happens, understood?"

"Yes but-" Snape held up a hand to cut him off as he moved next to Harry and crouched down beside him.

"Did you learn about Sirens?" At the confused look on his face he clarified, "Also known as Hags. They are a rogue type of witch. They live in covens and do not recognize the Ministry as in authority over them. They are dangerous, especially to males. If you let them, they will wrap you in their wiles and enslave you."

"What are they doing out here?" Harry said, trying not to let panic and skepticism seep through his voice.

"Probably the same thing we are Potter. Apothecaries, witches, Sirens, wizards... all are amongst the world tonight collecting this specimen. If they find out we have cleared the area of them they will hunt us until we give them up."

"And do we?"

"As a last resort. I would rather not pay a vault full of galleons for them from another forager, but if it is necessary to spare our lives we do what we must."

"He he he." There was a wheezy laugh, quiet and eery across the clearing, much to close for Harry's comfort.

"She doesn't need a wand Potter," he told him in a whisper. "And do NOT apparate. You will end up in a cage somewhere in her coven."

"Yes sir."

"Little wizards, come out come out, I'll use your entrails for stew!" She taunted them, ending in a cackle.

"What now?" Harry's voice was barely more than a quiet breath. Before Snape could answer though, a flash of light blinded them and Snape was yelling, "RUN!"

Harry bolted in one direction, diving out of the way of the curse just in time, and Snape in the other.

"I'll give ye chase then me fickle minded foe!" she shouted in a scratchy voice, flying after Harry. Apparently she didn't need a broom for that either, he thought as he leapt over logs and dodged trees, stumbling a few times and catching himself. He aimed a few curses behind himself, blasting apart a tree, and heard her cackle again, but she still followed.

Panting, Harry wished dearly that he knew where Snape was, because he didn't know if he was dead or captured, and he didn't know how to handle a Siren by himself. It seemed as if he had run forever, and he was hopelessly lost. If he couldn't apparate he didn't know how he was going to find his way back to civilization again. He ran through a small bog, the Hag catching up to him since she could float right over it and any other obstacle, and he gained speed again on the other side, feet squishing in his shoes. Branches whipped past his face and tore at his skin and clothes, and then when he thought he had lost her, he bumped into something hard, heard an "oomf" and fell backwards to the ground. He lit the tip of his wand to find another young man, possibly a few years older than himself, sprawled out on the ground before him.

Wand aimed, Harry eyed him closely, and recognized him as a Ravenclaw a few years ahead of him from Hogwarts.

"Harry Potter?" the boy queried.

"You're not a hag? What are you doing here?"

He shook his head. "Stewart, from Ravenclaw. They're chasing me too. I'm collecting these for my apprenticeship to the apothecary on Diagonalley." He held out a handful of the purple flowers, which wilted immediately in the wand light.

They heard a cackle then on both sides of the small clearing they sat in and a voice said gently, "Two young men to entrails feast, come to me my loves, not a master can save you now, no you'll not fly like doves."

"Cast a shield," Harry whispered, "and don't let it down."

Stewart did as he was told, a blue shield materializing around them, big enough for them to stand up in, and then Harry poured his own energy into the shield, doing as much of the work as he could to modulate his magic to match Stewarts since the other apprentice probably didn't know how to.

"What is this?" he asked. "Multiplied shield. Stronger than one wizard's magic alone. Hold steady and I'll pour my magic into it."

Suddenly a flash of red light came straight at them, revealing the location of one Hag, ugly, with scraggly gray hair and a pitted face. The curse fizzled out on the shield and she screeched. Two more blasts came then, one from both sides, and both fizzled, to more sounds of discontent.

"I'm going to let my magic off now," Harry said, "so I can fight back. If you continue to hold the shield it will remain strong."

"Yeah," Stewart said. "Go ahead."

Harry let his wand down and the shield held up to multiple more blasts. It seemed that more Sirens were joining the party now.

There was silence for a few moments, aside from the hags conversing in low tones through the trees, until Stewart said, "Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry looked over to see Stewart pointing up to the tree canopy, where hundreds of stick figures tied with twine hung from branches, some of them painted red. He tried not to think about them being painted with blood.

"Listen," Harry said suddenly, staring Stewart straight in the eyes. "Don't listen to them, no matter what. We can't apparate either."

"Why?"

"We'll end up enslaved or something like that. They can trick you if you listen to them... if my master is ok he'll help us. We just have to wait. We can send a message somehow if need be."

"Who's you're master?"

"Severus Snape."

"You got Snape? Wow."

"Yeah," Harry said, feeling like rolling his eyes because Stewart seemed a little impressed. "Is your master here?"

"No. He sent me out alone. I gathered these last year and nothing happened."

"Who would have thought it could be exciting," Harry said.

"I did encounter a dragon once, in a cave looking for yalsmouth's fungus."

"What did you do?"

"Ran like hell, what the bloody hell did ye think I did?"

Harry laughed a little then as a beautiful woman, perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen appeared out of the darkness, bathed in a warm light. Silky blond hair fell down her shoulders and back, and the light allowed them to see through a thin silky blue gown that trailed along the moss and dirt.

"Don't listen," Harry said. "Close your eyes, don't listen."

Stewart did as he was told and Harry tried to concentrate on Stewart's face, knowing he couldn't close his eyes in case Stewart caved.

"Are you all right?" the woman asked in a heart melting voice. "Are you hurt? I could take you back to my father's house and he can heal you."

"No thanks," Harry said firmly, eyes on Stewart's face and nowhere else.

"Are you sure? The Sirens are gone. We have food and water, and medical supplies at the house. You can send an owl to whoever is looking for you."

"A cage more like," Harry said, biting his lip hard to keep himself in the here and now. He had the strange urge to get up and follow her to a warm house bathed in light where there was chocolate cake and a warm bed waiting.

"Harry?" Stewart was licking his lips now, and Harry moved a hand to cover his eyes in case he was tempted to open them.

"It's a trick, don't listen. She's an ugly beast who will turn you into a slave. Are you listening Hag?" Harry asked suddenly to the woman. "Leave us be! You'll never take us! I know your powers are diminished in the light, and we'll walk out of here at daybreak!" He had remembered this small bit of information during his run. Binns had told the class of a wizard who had escaped capture by hiding in a tall tree until morning, and then running for his life, never to wander into the woods again.

She screeched suddenly, and Harry covered his ears and clenched his eyes shut trying to drown out the awful noise. One look at Stewart told him to cover the other man's ears however since he was still trying to hold up the shield, and it was starting to falter. It seemed as if the scream lasted forever, and Harry was sure his ears would never be the same again, but then it was over, and when Stewart inhaled a deep breath, Harry knew his ears would be fine.

"Wretched little whelp! A formal education won't save you! It's two day's walk back to Blackpool and you can't apparate in the daytime either so long as our omens hang from the trees! We'll get you one way or the other!"

Harry laughed then. "ACCIO HARRY'S BROOM!" he shouted, pointing his wand out into the dark woods. He knew his Firebolt was fast and hoped it would come to him, even though he was so far away. If they could fly out, all would be well.

She screeched again, this time followed by at least a dozen others, and it was all Harry could do to cover Stewart's ears and not pass out from the head splitting agony that overtook him.

"Can I let the shield down now?" Stewart asked, tired and obviously drained from the power needed to keep it up for four and a half hours.

"Yeah, do it. And when the broom comes near, get on the back quick just in case they're still hiding near."

When the broom came to hover just outside the shield, they let it down and clambered on, rising slowly because of the weight. When they were finally above the tree line, sun shining orange on the horizon, they moved off, Harry scanning the trees below, hoping not to catch a glimpse of Snape dead. Hopefully he had made it back ok.

"How far? I don't think your broom can hold out the entire distance."

"Just far enough that we know we're out of their territory, so that we can apparate. If we can find a paved road I bet we'll be safe."

They flew for almost an hour before Harry spotted a red car driving down a wooded highway, and he took them down into the forest. They surveyed the area quickly, and when they saw no omens, they apparated, glad to find themselves inside Snape's shop.

"Professor Snape! Are you here?" Harry was panicked because it looked like the shop was still closed. "Professor! Professor!" Harry was just about to move into the storeroom to check when Snape ran in followed by Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Draco Malfoy.

"Potter, are you injured?" Snape hurried over to him and looked him over quickly before turning to Stewart and doing the same. "How did you escape?"

Harry held up the broom. "We made a multiplied shield charm and waited through the night. There were hundreds of omens in the trees above us and we were surrounded by Sirens. They tried to lure us out, but I held my hands over Stewart's ears while they screeched and held the shield up.

"I'm impressed Potter," Kinglsey said in his deep voice, arms crossed. "Not bad for an apothecary."

"Yeah Potter," Draco spat, "surprised you didn't wet yourself."

Kingsley jabbed a finger in Draco's chest and said, "Cool it Malfoy. I'll have you put on probation again if you can't control your temper."

"Yes Master," he said, averting his eyes downward, but not before shooting Harry an amused look.

"I didn't know if you got out ok or not," Harry said to Snape, trying to ignore Draco. "We watched through the trees as we flew. We were going to go to the Ministry next if you weren't here."

"I only just returned. I had to walk out and had just contacted the Auror's office when you arrived."

"Er, is it ok if I go now?" Stewart held up his hand like a student and put it down again quickly, turning red. "I lost my supply of Ignea Horus and I need to report back to Diagonalley."

Harry looked at Snape, and remembered the bag full of the purple flower that still hung on his back. "Can we give him half of what we collected? My bag is full."

"Give him the entire bag. I have a full bag in the back."

Harry handed Stewart the bag to a grateful look, and Snape said, "Tell Devon hello for me."

Stewart nodded, and said, "I will. Thank you," and then he was gone, back to his own shop and master.

Draco kept shooting Harry looks of contempt and amusement as he was forced to take Harry's statement for a report, while Kinglsey spoke to Snape, and after another half hour they were gone.

"Sit down Potter, you look exhausted."

Harry plopped down on the brown couch in the storeroom and stared off into space for a moment, only brought out of it by the surprise of finding his professor plopping into the space next to him. He looked over and said, "I thought maybe you'd died."

Severus snorted. "If only you were so lucky Potter."

Harry gave a short laugh, and said, "Really. They were everywhere. They could have gotten you."

"One followed me into the woods and we sparred. I left her unconscious and placed a disallusionment charm on myself, before hiking for the rest of the night."

"Oh." Harry ran a hand through his hair and caught a glimpse of his reflection in a glass jar across the room. There was dried blood down one side of his face, twigs in his hair, and his shirt was torn in several places.

"Lucky I bumped into Stewart," Harry mused then.

"Why Potter? Or he'd be dead because you weren't there to save him?"

"Actually I was thinking we'd both be dead. And I didn't want to spend the night in the woods alone trying to hold up a shield while they screeched at me."

Severus eyed him appraisingly for a few moments, making Harry uncomfortable, and then said, "I find myself again mistaken."

"About what?"

"You Potter. You are not the spoiled, self-centered brat I believed you to be."

"Yeah, well you saw what my life was like before. How could I be?" His eyes grew wide for a moment as he realized his tired mistake. He hadn't wanted Snape to know he remembered. Severus realized too and looked over at him.

"You told me you did not remember."

"It was easier that way."

"Hm."

They sat that way for another few minutes, quietly thinking, before Snape told Harry to clean his wounds and add a disinfectant, and then go to bed. He was also told he had this and the next day off to recuperate, for which Harry was grateful.

"Glad you're not enslaved," Harry told him as he pushed himself up off the couch. Snape didn't respond and he went up to his apartment, musing that he suddenly didn't hate the man so desperately anymore.

* * *

Five am was early, but Harry needed the two hours for exercising. He didn't like the fact that he had trouble running from the Sirens in the forest, huffing and puffing and light headed. He needed to be fitter, stronger. Jennifer's exercise manual in hand, Harry started rising at five every morning to go for a jog around the neighborhood before there were too many people around. After an hour, he would return to his apartment for push ups, sit ups, crunches, pull ups, jumping jacks, weight lifting, and a number of other exercises outlined in the manual, and then a quick shower before going downstairs to open the shop.

After a week of this, along with studying with Jennifer after she got done with her apprenticeship every evening, Harry felt like he wasn't doing enough. Hermione gave him a spell that would read his books to him in his own voice, and was listening to the Auror books during morning exercises, and his Potion's books after Jennifer left and before bed. But he still needed more exercise.

Snape seemed to have grown some kind of superhuman confidence in him now and had him brewing potions to be sold for at least half of the day. During his new one hour lunch break, Harry was doing sit ups on the storeroom floor, while listening to his Potion's texts, and had found other ways to do little exercises throughout the day. For instance, somehow he had managed to convince Master Snape that he needed a pull-up bar installed in the Storeroom. This way every time he walked through the room he could do one or two pull-ups, grab the ingredients or potions he needed, and leave again. Snape was incredulous.

"You really are taking this seriously, aren't you?"

Harry looked up at the man, standing in the doorway as he did crunches, listening to his texts.

After canceling the read-aloud spell, Harry sat up and said, "Why shouldn't a person learn more than one subject? Muggles do it at University. They learn lots of things at the same time. We do at Hogwarts too."

"The goal of an apprenticeship is to become a master of one particular skill set."

"Yeah, but I mean, Auror's need potion's too, right? Anti-poisons and healing potions, and sometimes even strengthening potions like moon fruit. And they have to go buy it. But what if they could make their own? What happens if they need something and can't get to an apothecary? Helps to know how to search for the ingredients in the woods and brew it yourself in a fix."

"I see you have thought this out."

"I can't help what I want to be. Even as a child before Hogwarts I loved watching the police on TV, making the world a better place. I want to be part of that. Someday I'm going to have kids and I want them to be able to be safe... no Voldemort or other dark wizards. I don't want them to go through what we did at Hogwarts."

Harry stood up, tired of looking up at the man, and wiped the now cold sweat from his forehead.

"Be careful that you do not overstep your bounds Potter."

"Sir?"

"I only mean to warn you because I know how you were at Hogwarts. You are not an auror yet, and they will not take kindly to you trying to play hero if you are ever in the position. It will not bode well for you later if should truly wish to enter the program when you are done here."

"So, if I see somebody who needs help I can't?"

"Not if the aurors are already involved. Understood?"

"Yes sir. I don't go seeking out trouble anyway."

"I have it on good authority that others do not see it as that way. I spoke to Kinglsey and he said the head of the Auror department feels that you are preparing yourself to cause trouble."

"How? I mean, I don't want any trouble. Is that why Jennifer hasn't come over the last few nights to study? They won't let her?"

"It is possible. Keep this in mind."

"Yes sir," Harry said, a little shocked. Snape left him to his thoughts, and he sat down on the couch. It wasn't like he was going to bust in on them and ruin an operation or something. When did he even get out except to run errands for Snape, go running, or get groceries? He had hardly even seen the Weasley's since a few days after the Siren incident.

If only Harry could have known the trouble he'd get himself into in just a few short days time, he could have prepared for the berating he'd receive from Tonks and the other Senior Aurors.

His day had started like any other. A good jog, exercise and study, a shower, and then off to open the shop. Only today Snape wanted him to go to Diagonalley and get something from the apothecary there. Harry was excited to see Stewart and see how he was doing after the whole Siren debacle a couple of weeks ago.

The Apothecary in Diagonalley was full of students picking up supplies for the fast approaching term at Hogwarts, and Stewart was too busy to chat with him. Harry instead found his attention drawn to the redhead who had just come in the front door. His heart skipped a beat, and he realized just how much he had missed Ginny over the summer. He had been so engrossed in his studies that he had forgotten to long after her. She had just spotted him when there was a small explosion outside, making everybody duck and scream.

Harry pulled his wand and wasn't sure what was going on until a man with a scraggly looking beard ran into the apothecary with his wand out and started shouting at people. "Get down or I'll kill yeh!"

Apparently Ginny hadn't moved fast enough because the next second, he had taken her with his arm around her neck and wand pointed at her head.

"No," Harry said calmly, standing up, hand held out in a non-threatening gesture.

The man spun with Ginny to face Harry and shouted, "Get back!"

Harry froze, terror striking his heart at the sight of Ginny's pleading face.

"I'll kill her," he said with conviction. "You just stay back boy and do as I say."

"No," Harry told him. "Take me instead. Do you know who I am?" He lifted his bangs to show his scar and the man's eyes lit up. "She's not worth anything to you. Take me."

"Harry no," she begged, but her captor jammed the wand into her scalp and she whimpered and bit her lip to keep quiet.

"You just gonna let me take you then? No shenanigans?"

"Promise," Harry said. "I'm your ticket out of here."

"Damn straight. Come here boy." He let go of Ginny and pushed her forward and down to the ground. As soon as she was out of the way, Harry was quick with his wand and had a stunning spell aimed at the man's chest. It hit him squarely, knocking him backwards, but not before a jet of flame flew out of his wand and hit the ceiling, erupting in an orange inferno. Just then several Aurors burst in through the front door, wands spewing water to put out the fire. People ran from the shop, leaving the unconscious man, Harry, Ginny, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Jennifer, and Draco.

"What the hell was that Potter?" Kingsley asked, enraged. "You could have killed them all!"

"I was just-"

"You were just nothing Harry," Tonks said, still angry but more calm then Kingsley. "You were butting your nose in where it doesn't belong. You have no training, and no right to act the hero."

"I wasn't, I was just-"

"Save it Potter." Kingsley's voice boomed, a finality in it that was not to be overrode.

Ginny went to him then, a sorry look in her eyes and wrapped her arms around him.

"I wasn't going to let them hurt her," Harry said quietly, holding her tight. "He let her go, and when she was out of the way, I stunned him. The fire was my fault, the whole thing was my fault. Blame all of your problems on me if you have to in your report, but the fact is, Ginny is safe, everybody is safe. I didn't know you were in the area, and I didn't mean to overstep the bounds. If I had known you were here things would have turned out different."

Draco snorted then and said, "Yeah right Potter. You were always this way at school, the little hero mongering for glory."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, and Kingsley snorted and cast an angry glance at Jennifer. She looked down at her shoes, shame crossing her eyes, and Harry suddenly felt sorry then that he had dragged her down with him apparently.

"Unless you need us, you have my statement," Harry said quietly, and moved to walk past them and out the door with Ginny. When he got next to Kingsley however, he paused, and said, "All Jennifer and I did was study so that I would be ready to be an auror when I'm done with my apothecary apprenticeship. You can't change who I am. Don't try to change what I want to be." And then he and Ginny were gone.

Before they went back to the Burrow, since Ginny was there to get school supplies alone, being almost 17, Harry took her down an empty side alley and hugged her tight.

"I didn't know what to do. All I knew was I couldn't let them hurt you."

"I know," she said. "They're so mad at you now though."

"Let them be." He ran a hand through her hair.

"You don't care?"

"I do. But I care about your safety beyond my career."

"Harry," she sighed. "I wasn't sure if you loved me. I thought you'd go and find yourself a more sophisticated woman now that you've got your own place and... that Jennifer girl. I was so sure..."

"No," Harry said. "She knows I've got eyes only for you. And it looks now that our studying is at an end anyway."

She giggled then and Harry attributed it to the stress of the situation they'd just escaped. "Remember when we used to talk about marriage?"

He nodded. "The offer still stands."

"I'll take it," she said into his shoulder. "Mum will have a fit that I'm engaged before graduation, but let her be."

"You don't care?" he echoed her.

"Just about you."

Harry grinned then, and knew this was the best day of his life, even if his Auror career was over before it had even begun.

"Nope," Harry said, running a hand through his hair, obviously stressed, but there was something else in his expression too.

"Nope what Mr. Potter?"

"Didn't get the ingredients. Got engaged though!" He grinned for a moment and then rubbed soot out of one of his eyes.

"At what cost? Did you burn the alley down?"

"Almost. Someone took Ginny hostage in the Apothecary. I tricked him and stunned him... he sent flames off with his wand and they hit the ceiling. Then Aurors burst in, read me the riot act and I left with Ginny. God," Harry said suddenly. "The Weasley's are going to kill me now... she's not even graduated yet!" He hadn't thought about that.

Snape crossed his arms. "Is she pregnant Potter?"

Harry snorted. "No. Like she'd let me get-" he paused and then after turning red briefly, said, "she's smarter than that you know. We both are. We just, want to be married after she's done with school. But that doesn't mean Mrs. Weasley will let me anywhere near her until she's finished."

"You are probably correct in that assertion. However, that will not be possible."

"What won't be?" Harry frowned.

"You will be at Hogwarts with me for the year."

"But what about the shop? I thought I was to tend it while you were away? Have I done that badly?"

"You have done better than expected." Harry turned around to find Kingsley behind him, arms crossed, sans Draco Malfoy.

"Sir?" Somehow he had come in the door unnoticed... or perhaps he had been cloaked and listening all the time?

"Potter, I'm pleased to inform you that you have been excepted into the Auror apprenticeship program. And congratulations on the engagement." Kingsley smiled, and Harry wondered with a look of shock on his face if this was the same man who had just yelled at him an hour before.

"I don't understand."

Kingsley raised his eyes to Snape, and then said, "When applicant's apply, they are put through a series of tests, to see if they really are fit for the position, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We knew your magical prowess was up to par after the defeat of Voldemort, and that you were physically fit, but your state of mind and maturity still needed to be determined. This test is different for each applicant of course, and for you it included placing you in an undesirable situation with a person you were well known to not get along with. You adapted incredibly fast however, changed your attitude, and showed that you would be able to work with somebody you previously despised. This was important considering that Mr. Malfoy is in the program, as well as the fact that you may frequently encounter other Ministry employees that you don't like. Your maturity level was shown to us when you persevered through a difficult situation, and decided that you would train yourself in every way possible, preparing yourself for your eventual acceptance into the program."

"But the tingling... the mistake. I'm apprenticed to Master Snape," he rambled, confused that his life was suddenly upside down again.

"You were placed under temporary apprenticeship to Severus. Auror apprenticeships change twice before you're done with the program. This way you get to train under multiple Aurors. You will continue to be apprenticed to him for the next year while on assignment. Only this time, you'll be trained as a spy in a way that most other Jr. Aurors will not get the chance to have."

"What assignment will I be on at Hogwarts?"

Here Snape stepped around the counter and said, "After your defeat of Voldemort last year, we received word that there was... another dark wizard trying to come to power, this one a student, much as Voldemort himself was when he first vied for power."

"Do you know what house?"

"We do not, although we are fairly certain it is not Gryffindor or Slytherin, although we are not 100% positive."

"We know the student is male and is in seventh year. You will be posing as Professor Snape's apothecary apprentice, much as you have been. You will help him grade papers, teach classes, and tutor students. This will give you the opportunity to get close to suspects, and relay information back to us via Professor Snape."

"I don't believe this," Harry said. "This morning you were ready to tear my head off, and ten seconds ago I became a Jr. Auror."

"Believe it Mr. Potter. Bring this new... dark lord, to justice, and you will move up as a secondary auror with your peers Mrs. Diggle and Mr. Malfoy."

"Were they in on this?"

"No. Mr. Malfoy is being informed now that you are being inducted as an auror, and is probably throwing a fit as we speak. Mrs. Diggle really did get handed the wrong apprenticeship slip. If she wishes, she can drop out of the program at the end of next year when her apprenticeship to me is up. We were surprised to find that the two of you had made a study pact and that you had taken on extra duties not needed for an apothecary. When Severus informed us of your exercise routine, we knew you were getting close to meeting our standards."

Harry blew a breath up at his hair. "But you knew the whole time sir?" he asked him.

"Not exactly," Severus said. "I was displeased to be tricked, much as you were. The morning that you returned from the Sirens however, Kingsley informed me of the deception and as a member of the Order I agreed to train you as a spy to root out the menace at Hogwarts."

Harry grinned. "I must be dreaming. Am I allowed to tell anybody?"

"The Weasley's and Ms. Granger only, seeing as how they are also members of the Order."

Harry nodded. When Kingsley had left, and Harry had plopped down on the couch in the back, Snape sitting next to him as they had done a few weeks before, Harry grinned, and asked slyly, "Er, I don't suppose you'd let Ron move into the apartment upstairs with me?"

"You will be at Hogwarts."

"Not all the time. I'm still your apprentice aren't I? We could train him in the last few weeks just to run the shop... not to make potions or anything," Harry added quickly. "Then he'd have a job and a place to live. You know how it can be... doesn't want to live at home with Mrs. Weasley by himself while everyone else is away."

Severus sighed and crossed his arms, "The things I do for you Potter."

"Is that a yes?" He waited with baited breath as Snape looked poisonous, as if he were making a big mistake.

"He will be here at five am and stay until seven pm every day until we leave for Hogwarts. If I am to train a new apprentice he will agree to ALL of my terms."

"Yes sir," Harry grinned. "I'll tell him right away."