“Um.” Harry looked at the muggle-born boy. Leaving him lost didn't seem like the right thing to do and his mother was on the other side of Diagon Alley getting him a cauldron. He could talk to whoever he wanted.

“Oh well.” The boy sighed and turned his back on Harry.

“I'll help you.” Harry told him. “I'm Harry Black. Where do you need to go?”

The size of the boy's smile was rather surprising. “I'm so glad that you'll actually talk to me! The people I asked for help before just ignored me.” He shook Harry's hand rather enthusiastically. “By the way, I'm Steve.”

Harry's eyes widened. “Your name is Steve?” It wasn't a name like any he'd ever heard before.

“Actually it's Stephan Cornfoot.” Steve told him. “But just call me Steve.”

“Sure.” What an odd name. Harry turned toward the book bags. “Do you have a book bag yet?”

Steve nodded. “And ink and quills. I just need to get books now. I love reading so I'm saving them for last. Then I can spend all the money I have left on books.”

“That sounds like something I would do!” Harry laughed. “You should read this series. It's about an auror named Albius and it's a mystery series! They're amazing.” He told Steve. “And the potions books are always good to check out.”

“Sounds good. I'll see you at Hogwarts then?” Steve looked down the road.

“On the train probably. That's how you get to Hogwarts, on Platform 9 ¾.” Harry told him. “We could talk about books or magic on the way there.”

“All right. How do I get there?” Steve asked him. “There wasn't anything about getting to school in the guidebook they sent me. I got sort of confused.” He admitted.

“No problem.” Harry sketched a quick map with some of Steve's ink and quill. “It's on King's Cross station. You walk though the barrier between platform nine and ten.” He showed the other boy where that would be.

“Thanks.” Steve tucked the map into the pocket of his shorts and looked down the road. “Where the bookshop?”

Harry stepped out of the store behind him and pointed toward Flourish and Blotts. “It's on the main street. Called Flourish and Blotts, it's a giant place. You can't miss it.” He waved as Steve hurried toward the book store and his parents.

“Harry!” Severus came out of the shop, shrinking his purchases while he walked. “Where were you going you idiot boy?” He snarled.

Harry's eyes widened. I knew that I never wanted to have him this angry at me. “It's all right Da. I was just talking to one of my friends. They just walked by.”

Severus scowled. He wasn't buying it, but this time he let it slide. “Very well. Dumbledore's meeting starts in three minutes, we must make it back on time.” He seized Harry's upper arm and walked quickly to a portkey shop.

Bellatrix hurried in almost a minute later with her shrunken packages in the palm of her hand. “Are we late?” She asked, paning from the run there.

“Not yet.” Severus paid the boy working at the portkey shop and held out the twisted fork until everyone was touching it. “Ready?” At their nods he activated it. “Portus.”

Harry felt a familiar lurch behind his naval and tried to relax as he spun through the air towards Hogsmeade village. He managed to land on his feet, but the force of the landing caused him to fall over rather violently.

“All right?” Severus asked as he drew Harry into him. He didn't wait for an answer before turning on the spot and apparating to just outside the gate of Hogwarts. “We'll make it.”

The family set off at a run across the castle grounds. They hurried to their chambers and after resizing and giving Harry his packages they floo'd to the Headmaster's office, only two minutes late.

Harry was left alone with all of the unpacking and putting away to do. Of course, the things were mostly his so it did make sense. But he would have prefered his parents help. The first thing he did was take all of the books that Severus had purchased for himself and his father's new potions ingredients on the bed in his parents bedroom.

Then he put his own things away. There was enough space on the shelves to fit all his new books, and the wardrobe fit all of his new robes nicely. Even the cauldron and telescope could be neatly tucked into a corner.

That took him all of ten minutes. The meetings that took place before school started and after school ended often ran to more than three hours. There was still plenty of time for Harry to fill. He started off by reading. He paged through his new school books. He'd already read older versions of all of them. His Da kept copies and encouraged him to read ahead.

After reading he tried out a few spells. Lumos worked, some did the shield charm and a summoning charm. Harry really wanted to try a few hexes, but he didn't have anyone to hex. Eventually even playing with his wand and practising spells became boring and tiring.

A house elf popped into his bedroom just as he was putting his wand away. “Tobby is bring mater lunch. What is master wanting to eat?”

Harry considered the question. His strengthening potion was wearing off and his headache coming back, but he was quite ravenous after all his wand work. “I'll have fried potatoes, chocolate cake, and cold cuts of meat.”

Tobby hesitated before looking back at his master. “Tobby is being told to bring master salad. Mistress Bellatrix is saying so.”

Harry sighed. “Fine, but put the dressing on the side, and I don't like creamy dressing. I want the lemon juice and olive oil.” He told the elf.

Tobby bowed and popped out.

After giving his head a rub, it seemed to ache where his scar used to be, Harry headed into the small kitchen. During the day they sometimes cooked in the kitchen and Harry had made cookies with his parents a few times. There was a table in the room and a plate of food had already been sent to his spot.

Harry sat down and devoured the meal. Once he'd eaten all the food, the plate disappeared and a few potion vials appeared in its place. He groaned, but drank them down washing the taste away with water once he'd finished the last one, another strengthening potion.

Now what to do? He'd read his books, used his wand, and Harry wasn't allowed to brew potions unless Severus was with him.  I could read my new books. The ones that I picked out.

Harry got the book on Human Magic from his room and curled up in a chair in the sitting room. The potions weren't as strong this time and after using so much magic he was starting to feel the magical exhaustion and it made him cold. He pulled a blanket off his bed and wrapped it around him as he read.

The book was quite fascinating. The curses it talked about, ones that made people do what you want, ones that could kill people, scared him. Some of the people in talked about were in his History of Magic book and they'd been Dark Wizards.

Still, he was learning a lot from the book. There was quite a few spells he wanted to try out and some more details he wanted to research. Even some of the methods in the 'Taking First' chapter sounded interesting. There was a spell to create a mirror that showed the future and recipes for potions that made you stronger and taller. There was even a potion that made your magic stronger.

He was so caught up in the book that he didn't hear the floo sound on the other side of the room and his parents come through. Severus saw the blanket on the chair and assumed that he'd fallen asleep, so he left the boy alone.

When dinner time came Harry was surprised when his father walked around the front of the chair.

“Harry, it's time. . .Oh, you're awake.” Severus smiled. “Did you put everything away or did you just read the entire time?” He asked.

“I put everything away first.” Harry glanced toward the clock. “Is it time for dinner?”

“Yes.” Severus pulled out his wand. “I'll send your blanket back to the bed.” He tapped it and it disappeared, only to reappear on Harry's bed moments later.

Without the warmth of the blanket, Harry began to shiver and he curled and hugged himself for heat. The shivers got bigger and his teeth started chattering.

“Are you all right?” Severus touched his forehead gently. “You feel warm. Have you been casting spells?” He asked his son.

Harry nodded and clung to his father when he was picked up. “I just wanted to try them out.” He whispered.

“I know.” His Da lay him down gently on his bed and covered him with the blanket. “I'll give you a fever reducing potion and if you feel any better you'll come it dinner with us in the kitchen.” He snapped his fingers and wandlessly summoned a potion vial to his hand.

Harry took the sour potion obediently and gratefully drank the water that he was given once the potion was gone. He felt his body warm up slightly and sighed happily in relief.

“Don't fall asleep yet. You've got to eat some dinner.” Severus picked his son back up and carried him out to the kitchen and sat him in his chair.

Harry ate the thick stew and baked potatoes. The food was warm and delicious after his long afternoon. “That was great.” He told his parents once his plate was clean.

“Glad to know.” Bellatrix sipped at her tea. “So, what were you reading of avidly all day?”

“This book on Human Magic. It's really interesting.” He turned to his Da. “How come you don't have any books on it?”

But Severus had gone paler, even paler than he normally was. The two adults exchanged scarred and angry looks before turning back to their son.

“I'll take that.” Bellatrix took the book off the low table in the sitting room and hurried off to the bedroom.

“I think you'd better get back to bed.” Severus helped his son up. “The best thing for magical exhaustion is sleep.”

Harry fought his father's guiding arms. “I'm not tired! I want to read my book. What's going on?” He asked.

But Severus didn't answer any of his questions. He cast a spell to turn Harry's clothes into his pyjamas and tucked him into bed before summoning three potions to him.

“Da, what's wrong with the book?” Harry asked. He really wanted to know. Nothing bad had really been mentioned in the book, it was just interesting ways of looking at simpler curses.

“Not now Harry.” Severus held the first vial to his lips. “This will help your core recharge.” Harry drank it. “The second one is for relaxation. That will also help you heal.” Harry swallowed. “Last one.” Severus told him. “So you can get a good night's sleep.”

Harry wanted to protest, but the potion was tipped down his throat and he fell asleep before he could complain at the taste.

Severus watched for another moment to make sure his son was asleep before hurrying to his bedroom to discuss the situation with Bellatrix.

“Severus, why does this happen now? Quirrel has defence this year, Dumbledore is starting to worry about Harry Potter and our son's studying the dark arts!” Bellatrix was roaring mad. Her hair was messed and her robes twisted around her.

“Firstly, I don't believe he's studying the dark arts.” Severus told her, in an attempt to comfort her. “I think he just found the book and thought it looked interesting. He hasn't found any of our books or been in the restricted section.”

Bellatrix paced the room nervously. “I want him to be worthy of his name. He's a Black Severus! All the Blacks are dark!”

“Sirius Black.” Severus's face twisted at the mention of his childhood enemy.

“Death Eater.” Bellatrix spat. “He belongs in Azkaban.” She summoned her family book. “Look. In the entire Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, there isn't anyone! Andromeda's a blood traitor for what she did!” Tears were falling quickly from her eyes now.

“Relax.” With a wave of his wand, Severus summoned a mild sleeping potion. “Get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning once we've gotten some rest and calmed down.”

Bellatrix nodded and accepted the potion. She sniffed it and shook it gently before drinking it down. “Thank you.” She curled up on the bed, comforted by her husband's presence.