"Wait, did you know my grandparent's?", Harry questioned hopefully.
"I met Charlus on several occasions when I was an Auror, but I did not know him well, he was a good man and will do the right thing, you are his family after all, something he took seriously above all else", Croaker explained confidently. Harry nodded, a feeling of excitement beginning to swell within him at the thought of having a family, something he had never lost the desire or hope for.
The door opened, ceasing any further conversation as Filmore came back in, handed Croaker a file and stood arms folded, glaring at Harry.
"I'm sorry about your room", Harry said sincerely to the man.
"You will be", Filmore growled in reply.
The two were interrupted by a cough coming from Croaker who was looking at Harry, shaking his head.
"I find myself disappointed", he intoned, gesturing towards the file.
"Why?", Harry asked hesitantly.
"I certainly expected much more from you Mr. Potter, it seems as though you will need much more help than we thought", he explained handing the folder to him.
Harry flicked through the file that contained his academic records, even his OWL results and frowned.
"They aren't that bad", he stated after he had read through them.
"Most are average, your saving grace seems to be defense and charms, but you clearly need a lot of work on everything and perhaps you can re-sit some before you go, these results will not sit well with Charlus and Dorea", he warned.
Harry nodded his agreement, he knew he could have done better in school.
"I am better than that", Harry conceded.
Filmore snatched up the folder and looked through the contents before shaking his head.
"We are wasting our time on him", he declared angrily. "We have discussed this", Croaker retorted irritably. "I agree that Divination is a very sketchy subject but we can't risk not trying this", he pointed out. "We both know that some prophecies are and have been real, we have to trust him", he finished warningly.
"He is pathetic", Filmore responded hotly. "The results speak for themselves, he has no chance", he ground out slamming the folder on the table in disgust.
"I can do better", Harry cut in, getting very annoyed by Filmore.
"I'll be the judge of that", Filmore stated as he pointed his wand at Harry. "Legilimens", he roared.
Harry watched in Horror as his whole life seemingly flashed before his eyes as the man intruded and rifled through his memories.
He witnessed every key moment of his life pass: receiving his Hogwarts letter, the troll in the dungeon, the fight with Quirrel, the episode in the chamber of secrets, saving Sirius from the Dementors, the entirety of fourth year and the confrontation with Voldemort in the graveyard and finally the night he and his friends had spent in the department of Mysteries.
The man exited Harry's mind as quickly as he entered, looking both pale and shocked by what he had seen.
"Shit", Filmore whispered in disbelief and looked at Harry with something akin to respect. "It seems as though I underestimated you Potter", he admitted.
"He has potential?", Croaker asked, clearly not approving of his colleague's methods.
"See for yourself", he answered weakly.
Croaker immediately knew that what Filmore had seen must be something quite spectacular to garner that kind of response from him. "May I?", he questioned Harry.
Harry swallowed deeply and nodded reluctantly.
Croaker repeated the process that Filmore had and emerged looking equally surprised, yet happy.
"My, My Mr. Potter, you do have potential, these results certainly do not reflect your capabilities", he spoke seriously. "Are you satisfied that he is capable now?" he questioned Filmore sternly.
Filmore nodded.
"I've never seen anything like it before", he stated, sounding a little excited. "Myself and my team will turn him into the best damned wizard we can", he vowed.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, pleased that they did not think he was a waste of their time. "Don't get too excited Potter", Filmore warned. "I am going to make your life hell", he said with a sinister grin.
Harry swallowed deeply but nodded nonetheless.
"So we have an agreement?", Croaker questioned Harry. "We will help you and you will cooperate with us?" he asked further.
After a moment Harry nodded; he knew he had very little choice in the matter. He ether went back prepared, or went back as he was, it was a no brainer for him.
"Good, here is your wand", Croaker said with a smile, handing Harry his wand.
Harry sighed but took it.
"I need a new one", he explained.
"It seems fine to me", Croaker replied with a frown. "Dumbledore thinks I've outgrown it or something", Harry explained further.
Croaker nodded his understanding.
"We will have a wandcrafter here first thing", he promised. "Filmore will show you to your room where you trunks are waiting", he explained. "You have a rather enviable book collection I noticed and where did you get so much gold from?" he queried curiously.
Harry just stared at the man in shock not knowing what to say.
"Don't worry Mr. Potter, we are not the Auror's", Croaker chuckled. "I very much approve of the reading you are doing, it shows that you are being proactive, I respect that" he explained in a placating manner. "But the gold, I do not understand", he added confusedly.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the news that he was not in trouble. "I thought I might need the money if things go badly", he explained. "I found a few things worth something and had some elves sell it", he added. "I don't have my Gringotts key and wasn't allowed to leave my home", he finished with a frown.