All Hail the Dark Lord, Or Something Idiotic Like That

Adding to the Inner Circle pt2

A/N: Not my story! Original available on ao3

______________________________________

"That's the ticket! Welcome to the inner circle! Invite your friends!" Harry beamed at them and poured himself a cup of tea to really get down to business.

****

"Right, so I need a couple new bras, and Harry needs new shoes," Hermione promptly told them as she plopped onto Harry's bed after dinner one night and grabbed the mind magic book she was actually almost finished with.

"Er, I just got new shoes," Harry, still glamoured from the day, bunched up some for her from where he was trying to get through his blood magic book and ignore Ron's grumbling about having to read more than what was necessary for school.

Ron looked up and his ears got a little pink at the mention of bras. Harry and Hermione both rolled their eyes at him. "It's why the Order has to let us go to Diagon," Hermione explained in more detail. "Those are things you have to try on for yourself and a random person can't just buy it for you. Plus, I don't think Professor Lupin or Moody really wanted to go bra shopping for me, though I'd probably pay to see it if they did."

"I most definitely would!" Ron chuckled and continued to slowly make his way through the other mind magic book. "Ergh! It's the clearing your head part that's so frustrating!" He grumbled for the hundredth time. "What does that even mean?!"

"Imagine yourself flying on your broom. It's just you in the sky, the wind in your hair, and the rustling sound of the leaves on the trees. Nothing else for as far as you can see," Harry told him, not even taking his eyes from his book. "It's how I started, and it worked well while I got used to it."

That seemed to really hit Ron in a place he could understand. "Thanks mate, yeah, I think I can try that," he determinedly went back to the book. "I'll get this down. I want to keep what's in my head secret, and I wouldn't be opposed to learning some new spells you studied in your mastery."

"I'm working on organizing my thoughts before building my shield," Hermione added in to neither of their surprise.

"I knew you'd get this quickly, Hermione. And, Ron," Harry looked up at his friend with a fond smile. "It took me much longer than it's taking you. I had a bit of a hindrance when I first started, but even later when it was gone this type of magic in particular didn't come naturally to me. You're doing really well, I promise."

Ron turned bright red and that and also looked proud. "Thanks, Harry...that, well, that means a lot."

The door flew open to their room before Fred and George both shoved their heads in. "Sirius and Professor Lupin have started a prank war," Fred began.

"Get off your arses and join in!" George threw the door open wider to gesture then outside. "We want Harry on our side!"

"Night's too nice for reading!" Sirius called out from behind them as he ran past the room being chased by what appeared to be paper airplanes.

"I could take a break," Harry looked over to Ron mischievously.

"Merlin, thank you!" He threw the book down and jumped up.

"Hermione?" Harry held out a hand for their friend.

"Fine," she grumbled but still put the book down to stand. "Someone needs to remind you to use fourth year spells," she whispered warningly to him as they left the room.

She wasn't wrong, Harry decided. But....also, no one would really know if he was the one to charm something or if it had been Sirius or Remus or the twins. Oh well, a few seventh year spells and some obscure ones that Sirius probably grew up learning from his cousins wouldn't be too remarkable. He didn't remember this prank war from his first time in Grimmauld, so he wasn't sure what he had changed to cause it, but he sure as hell was going to enjoy it! He hadn't had actual fun without something terrible hanging over his head in so very long!