Remus had finally figured out how to make the pocketspace. His was over his left wrist, so it looked like he was conjuring something or to non-magicals it would look like it had been in his hand the entire time. Sirius decided he wanted his over his right hip, so he could look like a gunslinger when he called something up.
"I want us to increase our time at the gym," Hydrus said as he took each reader. "If there truly is a Dark Lady, then we need to be prepared. So far there's nothing indicating that she is after a particular group of people, but still…" he got up and started to the study, the other two followed. When they got to the room, Hydrus booted up the laptop and waited.
"That'll mean less time with the ladies," Padfoot whined.
"And less time with Harry," Moony added.
"We can take him with us, and we can go in the mornings so it won't interfere with our dating," the immortal said. "There's a daycare at the gym, they actually have the kids do simple workouts in the form of games," he added as he started downloading the books he wanted. It would do Harry good to get some exercise.
Finishing up, he handed each man back their readers and headed back to the living room, stopping to check in on Harry. The child was sitting on his floor reading his child's reader. If Hydrus remembered right, he would be working on the different ABC learning books and how they used other words for each book. Like A is for apple in one or A is for alligator in another.
"Doing okay, Harry?" the oldest uncle asked as he leaned in the doorway.
"No, not really," Harry pouted. "I don't get some of these words." He was getting better, but he was no Hermione.
"Write down what you don't understand, then come and find me and I'll explain them," Hydrus said with kindness. "This way you can practice your writing and learn to spell some bigger words." He hadn't expected Harry to understand all the books he had assigned. But, he wanted to make sure that his younger self would ask for help, unlike how he was as a child.
"Okay, Uncle Hydrus," the child said, though you could see he really didn't want to, but Hydrus had made it very clear that there would be no whining about school work. If he did well then he could fly in the back yard and help more in the lab. His uncle was letting him make small toys that he could give to his friends.
"Find me when you're done," the immortal said and turned to leave.
The three men made it back to the living room and settled in their chairs.
"Do you not think you are being a little hard on him? I mean, some of those books are way past his reading level," Remus asked.
"Not really, I told him just to do his best and read any word he knew and we'd talk about those he didn't." Hydrus shrugged. "I'm keeping it to children's learning books, so the words are small and there are pictures to help."
"Maybe," the ever cautious werewolf said.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to mark him down on what he gets wrong. It's a learning exercise," he defended himself. "The assignments for homeschooling are stuff he does in the classroom. This is like homework. He'll do fine."
"Alright, I will take your word for it," Remus conceded.
The three men settled more in their seats and started reading the old books on their readers. They spent an hour going over the information, learning some forgotten things, but nothing about the new curse. Harry came in after that hour and Hydrus pulled up the children's dictionary on Harry's reader and they went over the words. The day was spent with everyone working on their own thing until the afternoon, when Hydrus declared it was playtime.
After an afternoon playing in the sun, they ate a Beef Wellington dinner and enjoyed movie night. Harry was sent to bed at eight and the three men started research again.
"We should start looking into anyone who disappeared in the last ten years," Hydrus said, breaking the silence. "The DMLE hasn't found anything, and I'm thinking it's time we help. I was hoping they would apprehend this woman before now, without our help." He had been hoping to stay out of this fight. All he wanted to do was raise Harry, settle with his girl and live a happy life until he started his other plan.
"Why?" Sirius asked, looking up from his research.
"It's how Dark Lords operate, they disappear and then reappear with an agenda," the immortal shrugged.
"How will we do that? There are thousands of magicals in the United Kingdom. How will we know who to look for? And if the DMLE cannot find them, what makes you think we can?" Remus asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Well, Sirius is still in good with the Ministry, he can grease some palms. I can get my private investigators on the case. You still have ties with people like Mundungus," he ticked off the possibilities.
"I have not seen Fletcher in years," the werewolf said. "Not since I moved in here. Well, there was one time I ran into him in the Alley, but that was years ago."
"You don't have to if you don't want to, it was just a suggestion," Hydrus all but snapped. Sometimes Remus was annoying with the way he debated everything. The immortal knew it was just his way, but did he have to make an alternate point on everything?
"I did not say I would not help. I just said that is an avenue I might not be able to use," Moony defended.
"Then do what you can. Besides, Fletcher will do anything for a price, use the bribe money and ask him to look into it. I only ask you to get in touch with him, because I might have to hurt him for what he tried to do to me," Hydrus said in a bitter tone.
"What did he do to you?" Sirius asked. He always liked that petty thief, but he never really trusted the man.
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