Italy was interesting the tour started in Rome then went to Assisi. From Assisi they went to Venice in Venice while shopping Harry found a dress for Beth that he made one of the parents try on for him. Then they went to Florence where Dominic's grandparents lived. His grandfather had connections so their group didn't have to wait when they went to see Michaelangelo's "David". Then the tour went to Tuscany followed by Capri. At Capri Steve left the group to stay with his dad, while the rest of them returned to Rome. Over the course of the trip he found gifts for all the security personnel. Harry was amazed at how much film he was taking home, somehow he had ended up being the group's official photographer. Dominic's grandfather met them in Rome to take him back to Florence. While the rest of the group returned home for Christmas.
Harry got back and the first thing he did was to sleep twelve hours straight. When he woke up the first thing he saw was a frowning Beth. Having seen that look before he said"What did I do?"
"Does the name Tim Howell ring a bell?"
Harry smirked and said "It might."
"What are you smirking about? Two days after you left Sirius and I got an irate phone call from that boy's father and he claimed you ruined his son's suitcase and clothes dyed his hair and made him sick."
Harry noticed his godfather hanging back behind Beth holding James and Lila listening to the conversation. "I pranked the heck out of the jerk. If he got sick it was his own damn fault. He's a stuck up pig. All trimester he lord's over Steve, Dominic and I. He's Timothy Anderson Howell the fourth. His father is rich and such a big shot. Never mind that I could probably buy and sell his daddy two times over. He's American and not a scholarship student from a ghetto. Dominic's nothing but a wop, and I'm too young to know anything never mind I'm in the same grade and a straight A student when he has trouble earning a C. He copied Steve's homework twice before we got wise to him and stopped leaving it in the room when we weren't there. That could have cost Steve his scholarship as it was he got called to the principal's office.
"All trimester he threw fits if any of the rest of us left out toothbrushes out but we got docked for our suite being messy three times because he was too lazy to pick up his crap. We tried several times to go through channels and the steps for conflict resolution with Mr. Collins but he refused to follow through on any of the supposed agreements saying his daddy donates heavily to the school and he didn't have to. Furthermore if any of us had something chocolate he'd steal it.
"Would you rather I did a carpet impression and let him walk all over the rest of us?" he finished.
Sirius couldn't resist, eyes twinkling he said, "What all did you do?"
"Sirius!"
"I kept it mundane. Laxative brownies, a Hot pepper chocolate bar which I didn't give him mind you, I just left them out where he could find them. Ice water dumped over his head, pink hair dye in his shampoo which his bleached to white blond hair absorbed beautifully, itching powder on his clothes, I suppose I did go a little over board with the dead rats and the unwrapped chocolate in the suitcase next to the radiator with his school uniforms though."
"Oooh. James would be proud."
"Sirius! Harry shouldn't do things like that."
"And this other boy should get away with what he did?"
"I didn't say that!"
"Look Beth, I'll pay for what got ruined, but I want a sit down meeting with him, his oh so important father, Mr. Greer, Ms. Fortourney, Mr. Beckett, Mr. Collins and you, Sirius. I want his daddy to know exactly what kind of prick his son is."
"Harry, language!" Beth scolded.
"Agreed, Harry." Sirius said.
"Sirius!"
"Discussion is over Beth. Harry has a right to defend himself and he was mindful of the school rules and waited to do it until school was officially over for the trimester. I won't take him to task for it, to do so would be hypocritical. I call the school and set up the meeting."
Christmas with the whole family at the Castle was very nice, everyone liked the gifts Harry had found in Italy and elsewhere. Harry had gifted his school friends with tickets to see the touring company of "Les Miserables" when it was playing at Wolf Trap the Friday before school started and invited them for the weekend. He had sent his many pen pals small tokens of affection and had sent his summer teachers gifts he knew each would appreciate.
Harry liked the wizard chess set Roderick and Maryanne gave him, Sirius and Beth gave him a Bokken and a Katana and a set of three fencing swords foil, epee, and sabre plus the required safety equipment and private lessons for a year in both kendo and fencing. He got mostly books from his Uncles, Aunt, and security detail. He was surprised by receiving gifts from Mal and Mai Reynolds they sent him a potions supply kit. Remus and his family and friends in the U.K. sent him three pewter cauldrons of various sizes, a potion makers scale, and a potion makers tool kit that would let him process ingredients and stir his potions properly. His biggest surprise however came in the form of a gift from Yiska Walker.
Two months ago Harry had finished organizing his mind buildings so he had reluctantly started to go through the burned out building that had held the fragment. He had taken to putting up a silencing spell the nights he sorted the memories and he could only do it while he was at home with Sirius and Beth. He had only done a couple of rooms so far but those rooms had caused horrible nightmares. When Harry opened the present from Yiska it held a large ten inch diameter dream catcher and with it was a letter.
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