A Subject's Horror - Book Two

Chapter Four

There was a lot that I could say now that I was meeting the famous Golden Trio in person after their first year. But that wasn't what I wanted to focus on, especially since I knew for a fact Blaise had been taking time to teach them, more so Harry, about traditions and the Noble Houses.

Mainly since Harry himself was Heir to the Potter and Black families.

Something that I knew Blaise had been pissed about, well, pissed at the fact that Harry had been kept ignorant and unaware of who he was. It's been a work in progress since.

"It's nice to meet you," I finally offered with a small smile before offering my hand to each of them, traditionally they would kiss my hand in greeting. "Blaise has shared a lot about your time at Hogwarts in his letters, it almost feels like I know you just as well as he does."

Hermione shook my hand, even as she offered a timid smile.

Ron and Harry did as tradition and etiquette demanded and kissed my hand causing me to send a proud look towards Blaise who was smirking.

From there they each offered their own greetings.

"Remember, you're all invited to stay at my home until September," added Blaise as he noticed that Apple, my personal house elf, was waiting for us a few steps away. "Harry, I've already had Madre get permission from your relatives, so you'll be coming with us now."

Ah, so that was where Madre had disappeared off to a few weeks back.

It was smart of him to get her involved to help Harry.

Not even Dumbledore could say anything when we had permission from his relatives who he was forced to live with. Something I just knew he'd try to use to make us send him back.

If we had our way, Harry wouldn't go back.

But we'd have to do this carefully and without drawing too much attention to ourselves, it helped that our manor here in England was hidden and warded to the gills.

"Right," sighed out Harry even as he offered the other a grin before waving goodbye to Hermione and Ron as we moved back to where Apple waited for us. "It's a good thing you had me have Professor McGonagall shrink my trunk."

Ah, so that was why he didn't have any luggage with him.

Blaise had also likely had him send Hedwig to fly directly to our manor as she could find it.

"I's be taking you to the manor now," stated Apple with a small smile as I took one of her hands and Blaise took the other before we both grabbed one of Harry's. "Don't let go."

Moments later we had returned to the manor that was becoming another home to me even as I sent a nod to a few maids and the head butler. Madre had hired a mix of squibs and muggleborn's to be our maids, chefs, and personal attendants.

Something that had taken a bit to get used to.

"It's good to meet you, Young Master," stated Ralph, our head butler who I had mentioned in our letters, "I've already set up the guest room for a permanent stay for your guest."

Ah, right because Blaise had seemed to send his own letter ahead of him to prepare for Harry's stay at our manor. Which was smart, even more so for him to have a permanent room of his own.

Mainly as we had no plans to let him return to Privet Drive unless to briefly strengthen the wards that tied into his own protection. But that could be accomplished on a day when the Dursley's weren't around, and he wouldn't even need to go inside to accomplish that.

Or so I believed, but we'd have to test that.

"Thanks," sighed out Blaise with a grin before motioning to Harry to follow the butler. "Let's all get settled in and then meet back up in Green Room."

Ah, the Green Room was a room I had been working on for when we had friends over and wanted to hangout. It's also been outfitted with muggle electronics of this time.

Because as it seems, those outside of England had found a way to make muggle products work on magic. Something that had yet to be achieved here, though I wasn't surprised by that.

I'd been raving about the project in my letters as its been difficult to achieve.

Madre had to step in a few times to help.

~ Time Skip ~

Harry seemed to just fall into place over the next several weeks, though he had become a bit afraid when Madre got a hold of him to give him a makeover, and now its like he has been with us from the very start.

It made me rather proud of how much he seemed to settle into himself.

"Snape should have explained it like this," grumbled Harry the moment our personal tutor for potions left the manor. "I mean, if we knew the reason behind how we prepare our ingredients that would make us take more caution when doing so."

Ah, that was another thing.

Two days after they had settled into the manor, Madre had called for our tutors to return to prepare us for the next year.

I was actually already ahead and at the same level as Blaise now.

Something that had made him proud in fact.

Harry had been offered to join us, and he had taken that offer, which lead to him realizing just how poor the lessons were at Hogwarts. Though even then he didn't want to leave Hogwarts.

Not when it had become to mean so much to him.

"Many are already taught these things before joining Hogwarts," explained Blaise while putting away his notes and cleaning up his potions desk. "It's why many wish that muggleborn children are brought in sooner so as to not hold back the others."

Which, I could understand since our own lessons had to be held back to match those who have had no teachings in these subjects that we had already learned.

It was another reason for the frustrations many children of noble families had to deal with.

But really, it could easily be solved if they all worked together to pass a law for muggleborn children. One that would see them being brought in earlier and having a small school built to teach the basics one could learn with a growing magical core.

This was already a practice put in place in Italy in fact.

One we were aware of as we had attended such a school until the age of nine.

Well, not that I had memories of attending.

I was lucky that Evelyn kept such detailed notes for me to look back on.

Otherwise, I'd be a bit screwed.