Rogue Harry

Chapter 5

At nine o'clock sharp, Remus Lupin just apparated into the foyer of Potter Manor. He was feeling pretty good, considering it was just the day after a full moon. Thanks to Harry, he was actually feeling better than he had in a while. He had bought the Wolfsbane potion with the gift, which really helped him out.

Walking in, he saw Harry finishing up breakfast and reading a letter.

"Morning, Harry. How's it going today?"

Harry grinned. "Awesome." He tucked the letter away. "Just give me a sec, I'll be right there."

Watching Harry go over to the owl perch with his owls, Remus noticed the cream-colored one. "Odin, you can chill here for the day. I'll send you back tonight, cool?" The owl hooted in agreement. Harry saw his teacher watching and asked, "Ready?"

Remus grinned back. "Totally. The other owl must be Ginny's, right?" The boy nodded, walking towards the library. "You've really thought this through, Harry. Impressive planning."

Inside the tidied-up library, Remus commented, "Nice setup you've got here, Harry. Let's figure out our game plan. Specific goals will make everyone happier." He turned to Harry for input.

"We gotta focus on Defense for sure." Harry paused, then playfully added, "Wouldn't hurt to know some offensive spells too." Getting serious, he continued, "Charms and Transfiguration are important. Potions work is necessary. Creature stuff in Defense is more about theory. Maybe Ancient Runes for research, but I'm happy to pass that to someone else.

"Alright, Harry, that totally makes sense. I got your back on most of that. I agree that Ancient Runes can be helpful, but you can totally count on me or Hermione for that. Deciphering Runes in the middle of a battle isn't really a top priority." The two grinned at each other at the thought. "The only hiccup I see is Potions. I've never been great at it. I actually quit after my OWL year."

"Hmm," Harry pondered. "Hermione is my go-to for help, but she'll be at school. I need someone solid with Potions." After a pause, he grinned. "Actually, there are a couple of folks who are ace at Potions, but it might not be safe to bring them here."

Remus chuckled. "Good thinking, Harry. How about asking the twins if they'd teach you at their shoppe in the evening?"

"Yeah, that's a good plan. I'll chat with them about it when I feel ready. Wanna brush up on my spell work before being away too long."

"Smart move, Harry." Remus was relieved at Harry's cautiousness, taking after Mad-Eye more than he realized.

"But Moony? My priority is learning survival skills. I'm keen to kick off learning how to be an Animagus and mastering Apparition. Got Gryffindor courage, but Slytherins are onto something about strategic retreats."

The old Marauder chuckled. "Solid thinking, Harry. Let's tackle those first. I'll fill you in on Apparition tonight and we can kick off with Animagi tomorrow." Harry looked pleased. "So, for Apparition, remember the three D’s: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation."

Lupin whipped up a lime green rug, plunked it down a yard away from Harry, and that kicked off the morning's lesson.

After munching on some sandwiches for lunch, they headed to the Dueling Room for the afternoon. Moony put Harry through the wringer with different spells and a few quick fights. He was seriously impressed by all the stuff Harry had picked up in the two years since he'd been his teacher.

As their lessons for the day wrapped up, a tired Harry hit Lupin with a surprise question. "Moony, remember those mirrors Sirius and my dad used to chat with each other?"

"Yup, I do, Harry. I even thought Sirius gave you one."

Harry's face fell. "He did, but I broke it." After taking a deep breath, he looked back at his teacher. "Could you hook me up with another set? Or even better, show me how to craft them?"