Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 34: The End of the Beginning Pt 2

Lily Potter apparated into the foyer of Potter Manor just before dinner, and after summoning a house elf to take away her trunks and other possessions, she made her way to the kitchen area. While Potter Manor had a full-sized dining room, it was far too big for just three people, and so the family usually ate their meals in the breakfast nook at a table just big enough for three. Actually, it was big enough for four, but Lily had spent ten years training herself to ignore that empty spot where the fourth chair should have gone. Dinner was already on the table: cottage pie, roasted potatoes and treacle tart for desert – all of Jim's favorites.

The three Potters made amiable chitchat as they ate, but Jim thought the tension in the room was suffocating. Questions about how his first year went, about the Quidditch team's prospects for next year, about what trips the family should take when James's vacation days arrived. Nothing about Harry. Nothing about Voldemort. Nothing about that smell on James's breath that Jim suspected was Scotch. But things didn't get really bad until James mentioned Uncle Pete.

"By the way, Lils. I saw Peter today. He sends his congratulations for finishing your first year as a Professor."

Lily paused with a spoon almost to her mouth as she looked up into James's eyes. "That's nice," she finally said in a tone suggesting that it wasn't nice at all. "Where did you bump into him?"

"Oh, you know," said James lamely, as if he suddenly regretted even mentioning Peter's name. "I had to drop by his office today to go over some ... legal matters. Nothing major."

"Um-hmm," said Lily before taking another sip of wine. Jim looked back and forth between his mother and father somewhat nervously. There had been tension between the two ever since they learned Harry was a wizard, but it seemed to have gotten exponentially worse since Christmas. The three ate in silence for a while before Lily spoke to him.

"So, Jim, what plans do you have for summer? You know, as soon as you've got your homework done," she said with a smile.

"Come on, Lils," laughed James. "Let the boy relax a little before you start in about his homework." Lily smiled at that, but there was a flash of ... something in her eyes.

"No, that's okay," said Jim hurriedly. "I do plan to get my homework done early. In fact ... I was wondering if it might be possible to, um, get some tutoring this summer? I didn't do as well in some classes as I wanted, and I want to do better next year."

James put his wine glass down and crooked an eyebrow at his youngest son. "Who are you and what have you done with Jim Potter?" he said jokingly.

"I'm serious," Jim said. James winced slightly at that remark for some reason, but the boy continued. "I asked Professor McGonagall, and she said that there's a form either of you can fill out and file with the Ministry that will allow you to oversee me practicing with a wand for up to twenty hours a month. Or someone else who is qualified and passes a background check if neither of you have the time for it. Anyway, whoever the teacher is casts a notification spell when my lessons start and when they end, and as long as the teacher stays in the room with me, it won't count as underage magic."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Why have I never heard of this?"

"Well, honestly, most wizarding parents can't pass the background check because they don't have enough OWLS to be acceptable teachers. Also, it's ... kind of expensive. Five-hundred Galleons a month for the license and then twenty-five Galleons per hour of wand-training time, plus the costs for the instructor if you want to hire someone else to teach me."

James nearly choked on his wine. "What?! That's insane! You could buy Firebolts for your whole team for that!"

"Dad, we're rich! We can afford it! And frankly, I think spending money to further my education is more important than Quidditch!"