Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 120: Summer Holidays (II) (CH - 140)

The air was warm and quiet as Maverick and Harry Apparated just outside the Caesar residence, tucked at the end of a peaceful lane. The house looked welcoming, with ivy crawling up one side and a tidy little garden out front. Harry looked around curiously—it was the first time he had seen where Maverick lived.

They stepped up to the front porch. Maverick pressed the doorbell.

From somewhere inside, the muffled sound of footsteps echoed, followed by a girl's voice, light and quick.

"I'll get it!"

The door swung open, and standing there was a girl about Harry's age. She had dark brown eyes, a short braid bouncing over her shoulder, and a confident look that made Harry straighten up a little.

"Brother!" she exclaimed, breaking into a smile as she threw her arms around Maverick.

Maverick chuckled. "It's only been a day..."

"I still missed you," she mumbled, then pulled back and looked at the boy standing beside him. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Harry stood completely still, wide-eyed and frozen like a statue. His mouth might've been slightly open.

The girl frowned and looked at Maverick. "Why is this kid staring at me like that?"

Maverick coughed lightly and patted her head. "You're the same age as him, so don't call him a kid."

Harry turned an awkward shade of pink, suddenly realizing how he must have looked. He quickly looked away, mumbling something under his breath.

"This is Harry Potter," Maverick said, amused. "He's a student of mine from Hogwarts. Harry, this is my sister, Sarah Caesar."

Harry gave a quick nod, still clearly flustered. "H-hello. Nice to meet you."

Sarah studied him for a second, tilting her head. "So, you're like my brother then. A wizard?"

Harry scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond to her blunt tone. "Well... yes."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Maverick couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. Something told him Harry might not have the easiest time here.

Shaking his head with a faint smile, he stepped inside, and Harry followed close behind.

In the living room, his mother was seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper while the television played softly in the background.

"You're back early," Ariel said, smiling as she looked up.

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

Then Ariel's eyes shifted to Harry. She raised an eyebrow at Maverick.

"This is Harry Potter," Maverick said. "One of my students."

Harry gave a shy little wave. "Nice to meet you."

"Make yourself at home, dear," Ariel said kindly, getting to her feet. "I'll go fix something to eat."

"We just had lunch," Maverick said quickly, then glanced to Harry. "You hungry?"

Harry shook his head fast.

"Oh, alright," Ariel said with a smile. "But if you change your mind, help yourself. I made potato curry this morning."

Maverick turned to Sarah. "Why don't you show Harry around the house?"

Sarah's eyes lit up instantly. "Sure!" she said, and before Maverick could say anything else, she grabbed Harry by the arm and tugged him toward the stairs.

Once they were gone, Ariel raised her brow again.

"What?" Maverick asked as he slumped onto the sofa.

"Don't 'what' me," she said. "What's the boy's story?"

"There's no story, Mother," Maverick said with a sigh. "He's just a student of mine. I'm planning to give him a bit of extra mentoring over the summer, that's all."

Ariel studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, but remember, it's the holidays. Kids are supposed to relax, not study more."

Maverick didn't have a good answer to that. He leaned back and muttered, "I won't overdo it."

Time passed quietly. Maverick took a shower, changed into something more comfortable, and came back downstairs. Just as he reached the living room again, Sarah and Harry were returning from their tour.

Harry looked like he had been through a full day of classes already.

Sarah flopped down on the sofa next to Maverick. "I showed him everything," she declared proudly.

Harry sat across from them and looked over at Maverick, a little dazed.

"You alright?" Maverick asked him.

Harry glanced at Sarah, then at Maverick, offering a weak nod. "I'm... good, Professor. Brilliant..."

Maverick looked at his sister, who blinked back at him with wide, innocent eyes. He had a feeling there was more to it, but...

Why bother?

"Anyway," he said, turning to Harry. "While we're here, how about learning a bit of dueling? Let me see what you've picked up so far in Charms and Defence."

Harry, who had looked half-asleep a moment ago, suddenly sat up straight. His eyes lit up. "Really, Professor?"

Maverick nodded. "Yes. You can stay with us for the next two weeks, and since you'll be under my supervision, you don't need to worry about the Trace. Feel free to practise magic here as much as you like."

He wasn't going to ask Harry about becoming his student—not yet. He would see how things went first.

But then Harry frowned slightly. "But I thought students weren't allowed to use magic outside of school."

"You're right," Maverick nodded. "But that's only when you're on your own. If you're under the supervision of a qualified wizard—and I'm your professor—you're fine."

Harry's face broke into a grin. "Brilliant!"

"Alright," Maverick said, raising a hand before Harry could start bouncing on the sofa. "That's tomorrow. Today, just rest. I'll let your aunt and uncle know you're staying here for the time being…"

Harry nodded quickly, still grinning.

Sarah looked just as pleased. She clearly liked the idea of having someone her age around for the next two weeks.

---

Early the next morning, Harry followed Maverick to his study. Thankfully, Sarah wasn't an early riser and was still asleep, giving Maverick a quiet moment to speak with Harry alone.

The day before, Sarah had hardly left Harry's side, shadowing him like he was some kind of treasure. It made sense—there were hardly ever any other kids at their house, especially not one she could be herself around. With Harry, she did not need to hide her powers.

Maverick had not kept it a secret either. He told Harry that Sarah had special abilities, like magic, and that there were many others in the world with gifts like hers. He also told Sarah to act naturally around him.

Part of it was to help Harry see that the magical world was much bigger than just wizards and witches. But mostly, Maverick just wanted Sarah to have a real friend—someone she did not have to pretend around. Since he did not know many people like her, a young wizard like Harry was the next best thing. And luckily, Harry was a great fit.

"First, we'll do a quick test to see how much you've learned in your Charms and DADA classes. After that, I'll create a training program for you. Over the next two weeks, I'll teach you some basic offensive and defensive spells, as well as some movement skills..."

Maverick laid out the plan, and for the first half hour, he patiently tackled Harry's endless stream of questions. The boy was brimming with energy, eyes shining with anticipation. In his head, he was already picturing himself throwing out powerful spells, putting Slytherins in their place, and becoming the talk of the school.

Days went by, and Harry, who had started out bursting with excitement, quickly realized things weren't quite what he had imagined. Instead of flashy spells and instant results, most of his time was spent doing tough physical workouts and downing potions that tasted worse than anything he'd ever had at the Dursleys'.

He had to take several potions every day—before and after training, before going to bed, and even right after waking up. Some had obvious effects, like the one he drank after workouts to relieve his sore muscles. But the others were a mystery.

Maverick did not explain everything the potions were meant for, and only told Harry they were simply meant to heal injuries. And that was not necessarily a lie.

However, the potions did more than just repair his body. They were specially made just for him, carefully designed to fix the damage caused by years of neglect and poor nutrition. His body had been running on empty for far too long, and Maverick was quietly helping it recover, one dose at a time.

The potions came from his potions mentor, Sarah. Maverick had sent her Harry's blood and a detailed magical diagnostic of his body, along with an explanation of the boy's general condition growing up.

And Sarah was a master potion maker. For her, creating a set of custom, high-quality potions was not difficult at all—and she sent Maverick everything he needed without delay.

(Author's Note: I just realized that "Sarah" was also the name of MC's potions teacher. I forgot about that when I gave the same name to his adopted sister. My daughter's name is Sarah, so I guess it was stuck in my head! 😅)

As for the physical training Maverick gave Harry, it was a very, very watered-down version of what his own teacher, Edward, had once put him through. Still, for young Harry, it was tough enough that he had to push himself to his limits just to keep up. But in the end, Maverick was genuinely pleased—despite the difficulty, the kid didn't slack off.

For two full weeks, Harry stuck with the training, pushing his body every single day. And he wasn't the only one—Sarah joined him enthusiastically, but it didn't bring any joy to Harry. He quickly realized that this seemingly ordinary-looking girl, on top of her already overpowered ability to control plant life, was also a physical powerhouse.

Finally, when the two weeks ended, Maverick gave Harry a break from the intensity. The following week, just as he had promised on the first day, he took Harry to show him the broader magical world.

They traveled to America, where Harry met Maverick's teacher and his family, then visited MACUSA. They stopped by Ilvermorny School, met the Scamander couple, and toured the man's exotic beast collection. It was a whirlwind of magical wonders, and Harry was left wide-eyed with awe at every turn.

Of course, Maverick's trip to America wasn't just about being Harry Potter's tour guide. Every stop had a purpose for him—whether it was related to a future project or a meeting with someone important. Harry, on the other hand, was simply along for the ride, like a tourist, enjoying the sights and learning about the world more.